Photographs and Memories
by 554Laura
Summary: Set 40 years in the future, this story is told from the point of view of several different characters. A set of vignettes that occur after Christine finds an object at her parents' old house. AU because it's set in the future. Written for the Bonesology Christmas challenge 2018.
1. Chapter 1

**_Merry Christmas and welcome to my part of the Bones fan fiction Christmas challenge._**

 _ **Here's a little background for the story: It's set forty years in the future. Christine and Michael-Vincent are happily married. Their parents are elderly but are still with us.**_

 _ **The chapters in this story are little vignettes, not necessarily arranged in chronological order, but more as stand alone entries.**_

 _ **The song lyrics which inspired me are by the late Jim Croce. No copyright infringement intended. I don't own Bones either.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy this collection...**_

* * *

 _Photographs and memories,_

 _Christmas cards you sent to me..._

 _All that I have are these_

 _To remember you._

 _Memories that come at night_

 _Take me to another time..._

 _-lyrics from Photographs and Memories by Jim Croce_

oooooooooo

Christine Hodgins hesitated slightly before inserting the old fashioned key into the lock on her parents' front door that Saturday morning. She'd often asked them to replace it with a more modern digital lock system with a visual monitor, but her father had refused, saying that the worn brass handle had character. She rolled her eyes slightly as she remembered the heated discussion. _Character...from a door knob? I guess so..._

Hearing the satisfying click as she turned the key, she felt a strange sense of relief mixed with a hint of sadness. This chore had been long overdue, and there was no reason to put it off any longer. After pushing the door open, she stepped inside and took in the overwhelming flood of emotions she had always associated with her parents' house.

After a few seconds pause, she peered around the open door at the three youngsters chasing each other on the grassy lawn. "Well? Come on...I need your help, remember?"

Watching her children as they raced up the walk, Christine couldn't help but smile. As a geneticist, she understood all too well how the randomness of DNA worked in the inheritance of physical traits, but to see those factors in action as they existed in her own children held a certain fascination all its own.

Seeley, her eldest at 17, already stood well over six feet tall, and was still growing at a prodigious rate. Except for his bright blue eyes, he was the very image of his Pops, and he had the same brash personality as his namesake. A junior in high school, he was as comfortable in his Grandmother Angela's art studio as he was on the hockey rink. He was dreaming of a hockey scholarship at a university that offered a degree program in graphic arts. ' _Dad would be thrilled if that happens…',_ Christine thought to herself. _'He'll want to go see every game...I hope Seeley picks a college close by…"_

Joy, her middle child, had inherited her Grandmother Angela's exotic beauty and her Grammy Temperance's penchant for logic and scientific thought. Even though she was only twelve, her brilliant intellect was always in play, and she was taking some high school level Science and Math classes in addition to the regular seventh grade curriculum at her school. She was already talking about following her Grandmother Brennan's footsteps by studying anthropology at Northwestern. _'Mom's pleased with that, but Angela is still pushing University of Texas, isn't she? It'll be interesting to see who wins that argument...'_

"Come on, slowpoke. Quit looking for bugs.", Christine teased as she grinned at her youngest, who was bringing up the rear. Nine year old Max was the wild card of the bunch...his blonde curls framed big hazel eyes that were always full of mischief. It had seemed that as soon as he could talk, her baby boy had exhibited the same ornery sense of humor as his grandfather, or PaJack, as the elder Hodgins was known, and also the same interest in insects, minerals, soil and as many other weird and messy things as he could get his hands on. The child was truly brilliant, with an eidetic memory which he put to good use in memorizing the scientific names for the latest members of his insect zoo.

"No more critters, okay?", Christine said firmly. "That's all we need...another six legged pet…"

"But, Mom...look…" He held a ladybug in the palm of his hand. "It's a fine example of _Hippodamia septempunctata…_ "

"Well, it's time for her to fly away home...we have work to do. Come on…"

He puffed out a gentle breath on his hand and the little insect quickly made her escape. "Okay…"

Oooooooooo

Finally the little group was assembled in the foyer of the old house, ready to begin their work for today. Sighing softly, Christine led them into the family room. "Okay, so Grammy and Pops are getting ready to move into their new place…"

Max's lower lip protruded slightly. "Aww...that makes me sad, Mom. I'm gonna miss coming here...they have such cool stuff to look at…"

"I know, Buddy, but it's too hard for them to take care of this house any more. Besides...they've kept a lot of things...and that's not the real reason for us to go see them anyway, right? They're fun to talk to..." Sniffling quietly, Christine furtively brushed away a tear. She didn't want this to be a sad occasion for her children, but the truth was that her parents were in their eighties and had begun to exhibit some signs of failing health. Unlike her in-laws, who had chosen to stay in their home with a live in nurse, it had been decided that Pops and Grammy would sell their house and move into a nearby retirement center.

At first, Christine had been disappointed with their choice, knowing that they, too, could afford to stay in their home if they had some help, but her strong-willed mother would not be swayed by any attempt to persuade them against moving. "We don't want you to worry about us, Christine. We won't be prisoners there at the center. We can come and go as we please. Anyway, you know that if we stay in this house, your father will always find something that needs to be done around here, and with his mobility issues…well, it's just not feasible. This way, you can live your life, and we can still be involved with our grandchildren without having the upkeep of a house to concern us."

And so the decision was made, and the house had been sold. With Parker teaching at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut and Hank managing a Google data center in Belgium, most of the time and energy involved in getting the house ready to sell had fallen on Michael-Vincent and Christine, but their schedules working in academia had allowed them the flexibility to do so easily. Not surprisingly, the house had sold quickly, and now there was just the final task of making sure everything had been made ready for the new occupants.

"Um...Mom? I thought you said you needed some help with the house…"

Seeley's deep voice roused Christine from her reverie. "That's right...I do." She winked at her eldest son. "Let me guess...you're in a hurry, right? You have a date? Who is it tonight?" Seeing his shy blush and his siblings' grins, she chuckled. "Never mind. Yes, we have work to do." She looked around the room. "I know it looks like the house is ready to go, but I want to make sure everything is out, okay? We need to check closets, shelves, drawers...you never know where Pops may have stuck things he wants to save, right? So it's kind of like a treasure hunt."

Laughing, Joy agreed. "Pops is kind of a packrat, isn't he?"

"That he is...and so is Grammy, even though she doesn't think so." Christine pointed at a large cabinet. "Some of the furniture is staying with the house, since it was designed for it, so we need to look through those pieces as well. If you find something, and you aren't sure it's important, just put it on the kitchen counter, and we'll sort through it later, okay?"

Seeing her children nod in understanding, Christine passed out their assignments. "Max, you need to look in all of the bathroom cabinets and drawers. Joy, I need you to go through the kitchen cabinets and the pantry." Grinning up at Seeley, she shrugged slightly. "You get all the top shelves in all of the closets, and I also need you to dust the light fixtures, okay? I'm going to be in the master bedroom. Ready? Go!"

The kids quickly took up their tasks, curious to see if they'd find any real treasures as they looked through the vacant house. Their grandparents had led such interesting lives, and every artifact seemed to have a story attached to it...a story which Pops and Grammy would tell with great delight, often bickering over the details as they related the tale to their grandchildren.

Wandering into the master bedroom with its adjoining bathroom, Christine was once again overcome with a flood of memories. As a little girl, she'd been fascinated with watching her father shave with a real razor and foamy suds, and it had been so much fun to look through all of his brightly colored neckties as he chose one for his work day. Glancing at the place where the bed had stood, she smiled as she remembered curling up with her mother as they read a book or occasionally had watched a movie together, after her mother had allowed a television to be installed on the dresser.

 _No more procrastinating...I need to get busy._ The dresser was staying with the house since her parents' new retirement apartment had built in storage, so she decided to start with it first. After pulling out the drawers, she looked to make sure nothing had been lost between the dresser and the walls. Satisfied, she replaced them and moved into the closet.

It was empty now. The massive collection of old band tee shirts was gone, as well as her mother's formal dresses and her father's suits and his immaculately pressed dress shirts. Her parents had both retired twenty years ago, but they'd kept their dress clothes for special events, or for her mother's occasional personal appearances in support of a favorite charity. However, those items were no longer necessary. At the retirement center, the dress code was sweatpants and sweaters, and her parents had only kept what they'd needed to be comfortable for their lives there.

Christine was about to turn off the closet light when something caught her eye. Staring up at an upper shelf, she muttered to herself. "What is that?" Looking around, she hoped to find a step stool, but seeing none, she decided to use the next best thing.

"Seeley?", she called. "I need you to help me with something…"

He came loping into the room. "What's up, Mom?"

She simply pointed to the upper shelf. "Can you reach that? I don't know what it is, but…"

"Yeah, no problem." He stretched out his long arms and brought down the dusty object as a piece of newspaper fluttered down to the floor. "It looks like some sort of book…"

Christine brushed past him to pick up the stained and tattered clipping. She gasped in surprise as she saw the headline on the article.

 _ **Best Selling Author Weds FBI Special Agent in DC Garden Ceremony**_

"What is it?" Seeley peered over his mother's shoulder. "Wait...is that…"

"Yes…" Gently running her fingers over the faded black and white photograph accompanying the article, she nodded. "This is about Pops and Grammy's wedding...over 45 years ago."

"Hey, Mom?" Joy stood in the doorway, wondering what her mother was looking at. "I wanna see it…"

"Sure, Honey...here, look. It's a picture of Pops and Grammy from when they got married."

Studying the picture intently, Joy was amazed. "Mom...Grammy was so pretty! She looks like a princess in that dress!"

"Grammy does look beautiful, doesn't she?" Christine blinked back her tears as she nodded in agreement. "And Pops looks slick in that tuxedo, too, right?" A wistful smile played across her face as she saw how her parents were looking at each other...so much in love...just like they were now. Nothing could ever change that...

"So you may not know this…" She paused as Max came to join them. "...but your Grandma Angela planned Grammy and Pops' wedding in one day...actually, it was just part of a day, if you want to be precise. Grammy and Pops had a church picked out for the ceremony, but it burned down the night before the wedding. It looked like they were going to have to postpone the wedding to a later date, but you know your Grandma A...once she gets her mind set on something…"

"She gets it done!", Joy giggled. "So then what happened?"

"Well, Grammy's father showed up unexpectedly with some money, and so Grandma A took it and then arranged for the wedding to be held in the rose garden of the Jeffersonian. Grammy already had a dress, and Pops already had his tuxedo, so they just had to quickly move everything around to get the garden ready...you know, food, flowers, chairs, musicians...things like that. I guess your Grandma A and PaJack made a whole bunch of frantic phone calls to tell the guests about the change of venue, so everyone could make it there in time…"

"Really? Wow…" Seeley was impressed by the effort it had taken to pull off such a massive undertaking in such a short period of time. "But why didn't Grandma A just wait until a later date? I mean, Pops and Grammy could've gotten married somewhere else at a different time…"

Christine laughed out loud. "Your Grandma A wanted to make sure Pops and Grammy wouldn't chicken out of the wedding. She said she'd waited so long for those two to get together, and by golly, she was going to make sure it happened like it was supposed to."

"That sounds just like Grandma!", Joy said happily. Pointing at her older brother, she wrinkled her nose. "What's that dusty old thing?"

Seeley shrugged as he knocked some dust from the cover. "It looks like an old scrapbook of some sort…"

Gently taking it from her son, Christine found herself sniffling again. "I wondered what had happened to this book...it was one of the few things that had survived from Grammy and Pops' first house after it burned." She paused slightly, deciding not to share that sad story just yet. "Luckily, it had been stored in a safe in the basement for some reason. Grammy went and got it from the ruins as soon as she could." Opening the cover, she showed the contents to her children. "It's a photo album and memory book. Look...you can see where Grammy has put items in neatly…"

"And how Pops just sorta jammed things in there.", Max chuckled, reaching for the book. "I wanna look at it…"

Glancing at her phone, Christine shook her head. "We need to finish up here first. I tell you, what...let's get our work done, and then we can look at this book when we get home. I'm sure your Dad will want to see it, too. Okay? Chop chop…"

As her children ran off to finish their chores, Christine cradled the scrapbook tenderly against her chest. No matter what else they found in the house that day, she knew they'd found the greatest treasure of all...the memories of her parents' long and happy lives together.

* * *

 ** _Thanks for reading. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it._**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: thanks for all the kind reviews. They are appreciated.**_

 _ **There isn't a lot of exciting action in these chapters...most of them are family stories, but that's the point of the album...to encourage those memories.**_

* * *

Michael-Vincent wiped down the counter in the tidy kitchen after dinner that evening, listening intently as his wife of over twenty years explained what had happened earlier in the day. Finally he turned to her, his hands on his hips.

"I wonder how we missed that book when we got their stuff packed up to move." He grinned as he leaned over the counter to give Christine a kiss. "I'm glad you went back for one last look at the house."

"Yeah, me, too." Sitting on a bar stool, Christine ran her fingers over the embossed cover of the album. "I can't imagine how it got shoved up there, unless Mom put it up there for safekeeping or something...or maybe the movers put it up there and then forgot about it. Anyway, it doesn't make any difference. We have it now, and that's all that matters."

"You're right." He eyed the old album with interest. "I can't believe your parents still have actual photographs and bits of real newspapers after all these years…and stashed in a old book, no less..."

"Come on...you know my dad...he likes to 'keep it real'." Christine laughed softly. "I can just imagine him sitting in his old recliner, reading through his collection of newspaper clippings and then shoving them back into the album when he was done with them."

"Yeah, I suppose. You know, you should probably get all those images and papers scanned so we can preserve them." Throwing the dish towel over his shoulder, Michael-Vincent tapped the album's cover. "Have you looked through the book yet? I think it's pretty exciting, you know? No telling what might be in there…it's almost like one of your mom's archaeological digs."

"No, I haven't gotten very far into it. I've only looked at the first couple of pages...anyway, I haven't really had time." Hesitating slightly, Christine sipped her wine as she gathered her thoughts. "I talked to Mom when we got home, and she wants us to keep the book here so we can begin the process of archiving the materials inside. She says she doesn't have room for it at her place." Biting her lip slightly, she shrugged as she traced the edge of the cover. "It's weird, you know? I mean, I want to know what's in here, but I'm kind of afraid, too. What if this stuff dredges up all sorts of bad memories? And the kids want to look at it, but I'm wondering if I shouldn't do that by myself first…you know, just in case...to make sure there's nothing too scary in it. Who knows what Mom and Dad decided to save?"

"Listen, Chrissy…" Michael-Vincent smiled as he pushed a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "Everything in that book has already happened, okay? We can't change it by not remembering it or by ignoring it. Your parents and mine have had lots of good times and bad times, and they're still together...still in love...still happy. If they could handle that stuff and get through it...and still be married...I bet we can handle the memories of those things, too. Right?"

Christine giggled as she took his hand in hers. "You're pretty smart, you know that, Mikey?"

"Well, of course I know that. I got you to marry me, right?" He gave her a silly wink. "Hey, I know...See if our marriage announcement is in the album…"

"Hey, Mom…", Seeley interrupted as he came into the kitchen and grabbed an apple. "I'm gonna leave...Beth and I are going to a concert this evening…" He glanced down at the album sitting on the kitchen counter. "I want to look through this book later, okay? It's so cool that we found this."

"Mom! Mom!" Joy, dressed in her nightgown, came racing into the kitchen with Max hot on her heels. "Are you gonna let us look at the book now? Me and Max want a story before we go to bed…maybe you can tell us some more stuff about those things Grammy put in there."

"It's 'Max and I', Joy." Christine glanced at the clock. "I guess we can look at it for a little while. You don't mind if we look at it without you, do you, Seeley?"

"Nah...just make sure you don't tell any stories about me when I'm not here to defend myself. See ya later, Mom…" He gave her a kiss on the cheek and sauntered out the door.

"Okay, let's see what we have here…" Christine thumbed through the heavy pages of the album, speaking to her children as they nestled next to her on the sofa in the family room. "Daddy had a special request. Let me see if I can find it…"

"Who's that man?", Max asked, pointing to an old photograph. "His clothes look funny."

"That's my Grandpa Max...that's who you're named after." Christine wore a wistful grin as she looked at the picture. Her grandfather's clear blue eyes smiled back at her from the page. It was a good likeness of him, and she almost expected to hear him call by the pet name he'd had for her all those years ago. _I was his best girl, wasn't I?_ "I'll tell you about him some other time, Sweetheart. Oh, here it is...this is what I wanted. Right now…" She pointed to another image. "...I want to tell you about this picture. Do you know who this is?"

Joy's brow furrowed as she studied the photograph. "Well...not really…"

Michael-Vincent chuckled as he joined his wife in the family room. "Come on, Chrissy...that was a long time ago…we've changed a lot…you can't expect them to recognize us."

Max looked at his father in surprise. "Daddy...is that really you? Who's that with you?"

"That's Mommy, of course." He laughed as he took the picture from its spot and held it up so his children could look at it more closely. "This is our wedding picture." The photograph showed two much younger people standing on either side of a man dressed as Elvis Presley. "We had this taken right after we got married."

"No way." Joy shook her head in disgust. "You're both wearing shorts and tee shirts. Mom isn't wearing a pretty dress, and she doesn't even have any flowers…that man is wearing a funny suit...and where is everyone else? Grammy and Pops? Grandma A and PaJack? Why aren't they there with you?"

Chuckling as she stroked her daughter's dark hair, Christine explained. "It's a long story, but I suppose you want to hear it, right?" She winked at her husband, who grinned back at her. "You see, your daddy and I grew up together, practically from the time we were born. Pops and Grammy have been good friends with Grandma A and PaJack for many years, so it just seemed natural that the two of us would be close friends. We played together as children, and then we dated each other off and on in high school…"

"Until your mom decided we needed to see other people for a change." Michael-Vincent sighed softly. "I didn't agree, but I didn't have much choice, I suppose…Mommy wanted to spread her wings and fly away from me."

Embarrassed, his wife blushed slightly. "Well, it was a dumb idea, I guess, but I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything out in the real world." Christine patted her husband's hand. "I should've known I'd never find anyone better than you."

Glancing at her impatient children, she cleared her throat and continued. "Anyway, when I was in college I dated a boy named Kyle, and your daddy dated a girl named Liz while he was in college, but neither one of us was really very happy. We both graduated and got jobs, and we kept in touch, but we didn't actually see each other for a couple of years."

"That's right. I had moved to the San Francisco area to do graduate work in ergonomics and industrial design at UC Berkeley. It was fun, and I liked my classes, but I still missed my Chrissy."

"And I was working on my master's degree in genetic counseling at Johns Hopkins in Maryland, and living at home." Christine smirked at her husband. "I think Grammy and Pops got tired of me moping around the house, because they offered to send me to California for a two week vacation one summer while your daddy was living there. I was excited, but also a little bit worried. I thought maybe your daddy had a new girlfriend, since he'd mentioned someone named Diana from time to time…"

"...but I didn't. I couldn't wait to see your mom, but I was afraid that she had a boyfriend…some guy named Louis..."

"But you were both wrong!", Max exclaimed.

"That's right. Your daddy came to pick me up at the airport, and we were so glad to see each other. It was like we'd never been apart." Christine tousled her son's hair. "We had so much fun seeing all the sights in San Francisco. After a few days we went to Los Angeles to look around, and then Daddy suggested that we drive over to Las Vegas."

"It's only a couple of hours from LA, so why not?" Michael-Vincent twitched his eyebrow at his wife. "Mommy didn't know I had a plan cooked up…I was gonna try to get her to stay in California with me, no matter what it took. I didn't want her to leave me ever again."

"And Daddy didn't know I had a plan, too. I wanted him to come back home to DC, and I was willing to do almost anything to make that happen. So there we were, walking down the main street of Los Vegas one sunny afternoon, looking at all the casinos and everything, and we came across this 24 hour wedding chapel. There wasn't anyone having a wedding in there at the time, so I looked at your daddy and said, 'I dare you to marry me right now!'"

"And I said, 'Oh, yeah? You're on!' So before Mommy could back out, I pulled her into the chapel and we got married in our shorts, sandals, and Las Vegas tee shirts, and the minister who performed the ceremony was dressed like an Elvis impersonator."

"Who's Elvis?" Max was obviously confused. "Was he a friend of yours?"

"No, silly. He was a famous musician a long time ago." Christine made a mental note to expose her children to more popular culture before continuing. "We were so happy for a few minutes, but then it occurred to us that we'd have to tell our parents that we'd gotten married in Las Vegas on the spur of the moment, and they weren't there to see it...they didn't get to celebrate with us."

Michael-Vincent made a face like he was choking as he pretended to grab his throat. "I thought Pops might not be too happy with me, you know? It was a legal marriage, but it wasn't a church wedding...and I thought Grandma A might be disappointed that she didn't get to plan anything special for us."

Christine smiled as she gently ran her fingers over the photograph. "But later that day, when we called Pops, Grammy, Grandma A, and PaJack back home in DC to tell them that we had gotten married, we found out the joke was on us! They had figured if I went to California to see your daddy again, we'd realize that we still loved each other, and we'd decide to get married, and they wouldn't have to worry about planning a wedding! And that's exactly what happened. Daddy was able to continue his degree at American University, so we moved back here soon afterwards, and we've been happy ever since then."

Joy laughed merrily as she looked at the picture once again. "I think that's a funny story."

"Yep, we got married over 20 years ago, and we've been happy together ever since." Michael-Vincent sat back in his chair and winked at his wife. "Best dare I ever took."

Giving her children a squeeze, Christine smiled broadly. "Okay, Munchkins, that's enough of a story for now. We can look at the album some more tomorrow. Go brush your teeth and hop into bed. I'll be in shortly to say good night."

Michael-Vincent laughed as he watched Max race Joy to the bathroom. Extending his hand to his wife, he pulled her down onto his lap. "So do you think we should tell them that unusual weddings run in the family? I mean, my parents got married in a jail cell...yours got married in a garden after the church burned down...Parker got married in London to a girl he met while he was living in England, and Hank married one of your best friends in a Lakota Sioux ceremony...my brother and his wife got married on horseback at a dude ranch in Montana..."

Christine snuggled against her husband, giggling softly. "No...it'll probably be a long time before any of them get married, so I'm not worried about it, although it'll be interesting to see if they can top our wedding, won't it?" She reached up to give him a kiss. "Anyway, no matter who they marry, or how it happens, I just hope they're as happy as we've been, Mikey."

"Very true, Chrissy. Very true."


	3. Chapter 3

**_In praise of strong, intelligent women..._**

* * *

It had been several weeks since the old photo album had been found at her parents' former home, but Christine was still fascinated whenever she looked through it. For all of her mother's protests that time travel simply wasn't possible, it seemed that such a thing occurred every time she leafed through the worn pages of the book.

Her children had been fascinated, too, although in their minds the milestones that had been marked by inclusion in the book were deemed to be things that had happened in the far distant past, even if it was something their mother could remember vividly. Of course, some of those memories had been made well before Christine was born, and she'd only heard about them second hand, but that didn't make the stories any less real or important to her. They were part of what made her family who they were, and she was determined to keep those memories alive.

One Sunday afternoon, as she was cleaning the kitchen, Christine moved the album so she could clean the counter and a piece of paper fluttered from inside the pages. Curious, she picked it up to inspect it more closely. It was another yellowed section of newspaper. Smoothing out the creases, she smiled as she read the headline.

 _ **Unlikely Partnership: Forensic Scientist Aids FBI Investigator in Solving Crimes**_

The article went into great detail about how a young anthropologist named Temperance Brennan was working with a young FBI agent, one Seeley J. Booth, and because of that collaboration they had achieved one of the highest solve rates for major crimes east of the Mississippi. Accompanying the article was a photograph of her parents as they studied a file folder together.

"They look so young…", Christine murmured to herself as she studied the picture. With her father being almost ninety and her mother being in her mid-eighties, it was sometimes hard to remember what an attractive couple they'd been when they were much younger. Curious, she checked the article's date. "2006...wow. Mom was only 30…"

"What'cha lookin' at, Sweetheart?" Michael-Vincent came into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. "Did you find something else interesting in that old album?"

"Yes...look at this. It's a newspaper article about my parents…" She held it up for him to see. "It's hard to imagine that they used to put the news on paper instead of sending it out digitally, but I'm glad we've got this…it's actually quite fascinating. " Smiling as she read through the column again, she glanced at her husband. "We really need to archive all of these photographs and artifacts on the cloud. I want our kids and our grandkids to be able to enjoy them for many years to come, and some of these pieces of paper are really fragile."

Michael-Vincent nodded as he read over her shoulder. "We'll just store them digitally, and then we can decide if we want to make them accessible to more than just our family, okay? I mean, your mom is a famous author, and your dad is almost legendary in the annals of the FBI…"

"I know." She sighed in frustration. "I've tried to get Dad to write some things down for me, but he keeps saying no one is interested in an old man's memories." Christine shrugged a bit as she turned to face her husband. "He can be so stubborn sometimes."

"Yeah, but maybe we just need to approach it differently. Instead of asking him to write things down, maybe we can ask him to tell us about some of the more interesting cases they had in the past, and then record him as he's talking...we can tell him we want to make an oral history for the grandkids. You know how much he likes to tell them stories about the old days…"

"That's a great idea, Mikey! You're so smart." Smiling up at him, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad I have you…"

"Hey, careful there." He held the cup out of the way so it wouldn't slosh over. "You don't want me to spill coffee on that slip of paper, do you?" Setting his cup down, Michael-Vincent whistled softly as he looked more closely at the photograph. "Wow...now I see where you got your good looks, Honey. Your mom was a very attractive woman...actually, she was gorgeous." Seeing Christine grimace slightly, he quickly explained. "I mean, she's still pretty, of course, but when she was younger...well, let's just say I know why your dad fell head over heels for her…"

"Yeah...Dad said when he first saw her standing there in that lecture room at the university, it was like getting struck by lightning...that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen." She smiled as she remembered what he'd said about that moment. "He was smitten with that silky auburn hair, those big blue eyes, the delicate complexion...and a figure that wouldn't quit. He said no matter who he was going with at the time, he always kept thinking about Temperance Brennan...he couldn't get her off of his mind. It seems he was determined that Mom was going to be his wife one day...and after many trials and tribulations, he finally got what he wanted."

"Yeah, I get that." Michael-Vincent smirked as he sat down at the counter. "I guess in some ways, your mom felt the same way about your dad. I can remember my mom laughing about what your mom had said about your dad's 'amazing musculature', 'strong mandible', and his 'perfect acromia'." Laughing as his wife rolled his eyes, he sipped his coffee. "In other words, your mom thought your dad was really hot, right from the beginning…at least according to my mom..."

"Ewww…" Christine wrinkled her nose a bit at that assessment. "I mean, I know that they found each other to be good looking, of course, but it's still weird to talk about it, isn't it? Are kids supposed to know that sort of thing about their parents...that their parents find each other physically...sexually...attractive?"

"I don't know. I guess that may be what your dad means when he says 'parents have secret lives, or they wouldn't be parents.' Your dad's a smart guy…hey, what's wrong?" Seeing the unhappy expression on Christine's face, Michael-Vincent paused. "Look, I didn't mean to upset you…"

"You didn't upset me. I was just reading through this article again." She pointed out a paragraph for her husband. "The man who wrote this column seems surprised that my mom...as a young woman...was such a brilliant scientist." Heaving an exasperated sigh, she shrugged. "I'd forgotten that my mom...Aunt Cam...your mom...all of these highly intelligent women we knew simply as talented scientists were actually pioneers in their fields of study. They became role models for young women who wanted to study science. When they were working at the Jeffersonian, in conjunction with the FBI or with other federal agencies, most of the scientists who held those positions were men. If you think about it, your dad was in the minority there at the lab. These women had to be strong as well as smart to put up with some of the crap they were given."

"Well, I never really thought about it, you know? That was always just the way it was...Dad worked with Mom and several other women who were really smart and very strong-willed, and it was no big deal to him. It didn't matter to him who was doing the job as long as they got it done…"

"True, but that wasn't really the 'normal' situation for the time. Mom said she always felt like she had to prove herself over and over...that she was so focused on being the best in her field because a lot of people didn't think a woman could handle being a forensic anthropologist, you know, with all the gore and nastiness involved. Even in the 2000's, some people didn't think women were as capable as men when it came to intellectual pursuits..."

"But that never stopped your mom or Aunt Cam, although I'm pretty sure my mom wasn't crazy about what she calls the 'ick factor', even though she managed to deal with it most of the time." He laughed softly as Christine poured him another cup of coffee and then a cup for herself. "I've always been amazed that she could handle having Dad's bugs around the house. I still remember her talking about helping my dad birth some sort of parasitic fly larva from the back his neck. You can bet she was grossed out, but she handled it."

"Angela may not be much for blood, gore, guts, and bugs, but she's definitely a genius with her computer. She's provided a lot of evidence that the FBI could use to solve crimes over the years…and now almost all law enforcement agencies across the country use her programs. And, of course, they all use forensic anthropology as well, thanks to my mom. Our mothers have both made a huge difference in how crimes are solved these days." She sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "You know, Dad always says it has never just been him and my mom that solved crimes. He said it was the whole team that did the hard work, and I think it made him feel awkward when he got all those accolades." Pointing to the newspaper article, she nodded. "I'm sure he wasn't real happy with all this attention, either, except that he got to share the spotlight with my mom."

"And he got to sit really close to her. I bet he loved that." Grinning at his wife, Michael-Vincent pointed at the picture. "Look at his face...he was already in love with her…"

"Which is weird, because I think he was dating Aunt Cam about this time.", Christine giggled. "But you're right. To hear him tell it, it was love at first sight, with the whole 'do you believe in fate' conversation...and you know my mom...she basically said that was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard."

"I can imagine." Michael-Vincent smirked as he nodded in agreement. "I guess my dad was in sort of the same boat when it came to my mom. He loved her for several years, even when she had other lovers. I don't think he was interested in anyone else once he met her. Somehow he felt like she was the only one for him...like no one else would ever do." Chuckling softly, he sipped his coffee. "There were a couple of false starts in between, but I'm glad she finally saw the light and agreed to marry him."

"Me, too." Christine opened the album, looking for another piece of paper. "Here it is… this is a picture of everyone who worked together at the lab when they were hunting Howard Epps, that serial killer. Look...you can tell that they were a close knit group, can't you?" She handed the clipping to her husband. "Dad always says there's more than one kind of family. I guess in some ways, that group of people was like a family to him, and as a family, he felt like they all deserved respect and recognition. I think that's why it took him so long to become a director...in some ways he felt like he didn't deserve it, because Mom and the 'squints' helped him achieve so much, and he was loathe to leave his little family behind."

"Your mom didn't seem to mind the spotlight, though...she liked going on her book tours…"

"But that was different." Christine hesitated as she tried to find the right words to explain her feelings. "Writing the mystery books was for her own personal enjoyment, really...a creative outlet. They weren't 'work' for her, so it was fun to promote them. And you're right...she didn't mind being recognized for her achievements in forensics or for her textbooks, because they were serious accomplishments, and she felt like that recognition was a mark of respect. However, when it came to the work she did with my dad...well, that was different, because it was done in pursuit of justice. It was the right thing to do, and as such, she didn't feel the need to call attention to herself for that."

Gazing at the photographs, Michael-Vincent exhaled slowly as he rubbed Christine's shoulder. "Our parents are extraordinary people. Do you think we have any hope of living up to their legacy?"

"I'm not worried about that, Mikey..." She reached up to give his hand a squeeze and smiled. "...because, you know what?" She pointed at him and then at herself. "You and me? I think we're extraordinary in our own right. We don't have to live up to anyone else's legacy. We just have to do our best to create a legacy of our own." Closing the album, she paused as she picked up their coffee cups. "We both have good jobs that help other people. We have three great kids, and we've been happily married for many years. What more could we hope to achieve in our lives?"

"You're absolutely right." Rising from his stool, Michael-Vincent walked around the counter and embraced his wife. "I'm a lucky guy, having a wife like you...a strong, intelligent woman in your own right. You're the best. I love you so much, Christine…"

She giggled softly as she gave him a kiss. "I love you, too, Mikey."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Courage comes in many forms..._**

It was an unusually quiet Saturday afternoon at the Hodgins household. Seeley had left for his part time job at the ice rink, and Christine had taken Joy to get a haircut before they did the normal weekend errands.

Relishing the quiet, Michael-Vincent sat at his desk with his coffee, editing his latest article for the Journal of Industrial Design. Over the years, it had become easier for people with mobility issues to navigate through a variety of workplaces, but he knew there was still a lot to be accomplished, and he wanted to be on the forefront of those efforts. Things most people took for granted at work could be barriers for those with some sort of physical impairment. Anything that could make lives more convenient for those who found it difficult to move around easily in a work setting would be a step in the right direction for industry, allowing everyone who wanted to work a chance to be successful at a well paying career.

He smiled to himself as he looked out the window of his study, thinking once again about what an inspiration his father had been to him in choosing his profession. His parents had struggled to come to terms with his father's paralysis after the extent of his bomb related injuries had become known, but in the end, they'd become closer as a couple. _They're amazing people...brilliant...loving...caring…_

...and extremely adaptable. It had taken time, but their house and his father's lab at the Jeffersonian had been modified to make them accessible for a person in a wheelchair. Because he had a combination of his mother's creative urge and his father's imagination, along with a healthy dose of logic and intelligence from both of them, making sure accessibility was integrated into industrial design had been an easy fit for Michael-Vincent. He wanted to make sure anyone who found themselves in a position such as his father's would have the means to contribute to society, just as his father had done over his many years during his tenure as 'king of the lab'.

Tapping at his keyboard, he grimaced slightly as he edited his article. His parents had enjoyed a wonderful income from his father's inventions, and they were able to afford the expense of remodeling their house to fit his father's needs. What about those with more modest incomes? What could be done to make their lives easier?

Turning the problem over in his mind, Michael-Vincent studied his article. "We need to make that sort of thing more affordable…", he mumbled to himself. "Maybe I can propose a study…"

"Daddy?" Max had entered the study quietly, startling his father by pulling on his shirt sleeve. "I'm hungry."

"What? You just ate lunch an hour ago!" Pretending to glare at his son, Michael-Vincent groaned in mock horror. "How am I ever going to afford to feed both you and your brother? Thank goodness your sister doesn't eat very much…"

"I don't eat as much as Seeley, Daddy. He can eat four hamburgers at a time…", Max laughed as he followed his father into the kitchen. "I can only eat one…"

"I know! I don't know how he does that!" Pulling out a knife from a drawer, Michael-Vincent grabbed an apple from a basket on the counter. "Let's have some fruit and cheese, okay? Maybe that'll take the edge off your tummy rumblings. I don't want to spoil your dinner. Mommy said something about getting some pizza tonight."

"Yum! I hope it's from Andolini's. That's the best kind." The little boy grinned as he popped a slice of apple in his mouth. "Thanks, Daddy." Glancing toward the end of the kitchen counter, he pointed to the picture album. "Can I look at that book while we have our snack?"

"Wipe your hands first. Mommy won't be happy if we get stuff all over the pictures." After handing the child a paper towel, Michael-Vincent placed the album where they could both see it. "There's lots of cool stuff in here, isn't there?"

"Uh huh." Max pointed to a picture of a man with a long gray beard who was holding an electric guitar. "Who's that?"

"That's your great grandpa...that's Billy, who was Grandma A's daddy. He was a professional musician many years ago...he played with a band, and they made lots of albums. That's why my brother is called J-Dub...his name is Jeffrey William after PaJack's brother Jeffrey and after Billy, whose grown up name was William." Michael-Vincent laughed to himself. _As if Billy had actually ever grown up, right? He was always a big kid..._

Smiling wistfully, Michael-Vincent ran his finger around the edge of the portrait, which had been used as a publicity still for one of the band's tours. "He was a great guy...we had a lot of fun together. I remember him coming to visit us when I was a little boy. He'd plug in his amplifiers and hit the strings on that guitar, and it seemed like the whole house would shake and rattle because the music was so loud. Your grandpa wasn't always happy about that, but your grandma would just laugh and call her daddy a Texas twister." Sighing softly, he looked at his son. "He passed away about 30 years ago, but I still miss him a lot…"

Uncomfortable with his father's sadness, Max decided to change the subject. "Daddy...look at this picture. It looks funny…", he said, obviously confused as he looked up at his father. "Is this really PaJack?"

"What?" Unsure of what Max meant, Michael-Vincent shook off his reverie and glanced at the album. His son was looking at a photo of his grandfather and his friend Zack as they stood together in the Ookie Room at the old Jeffersonian. "Well, of course that's PaJack. Who else would it be?"

Rolling his eyes at his father's apparent ignorance, the boy sighed in exasperation. "But he's not in his wheelchair, Daddy! He can't walk…how did they get him to stand up for the picture?"

"Oh…" MIchael-Vincent gasped softly as he remembered once again that his children had never seen their Grandfather Hodgins without his wheelchair. "Well, this picture was taken before he was injured...it was a really long time ago, even before Grandma A and PaJack were married." Groaning softly, he closed his eyes, wishing his wife would show up so he didn't have to explain what had happened, but…

 _There's no time like the present, I suppose._ Clearing his throat, he shrugged a shoulder at Max. "So here's what happened, okay? PaJack wasn't always in a wheelchair like he is now. He used to walk around and do stuff just like you and me." He grew pensive as he continued. "I can still remember when we would go out and look for cool bugs and interesting rocks at the park close to our house. PaJack always carried a bag with him on those trips so we could bring our treasures home…it was full of little jars for any bugs he'd collect, and there were a bunch of little bags for rocks and minerals..."

"He gave me a bag like that, too!" Max grinned up at his father. "He said I should bring him whatever I find, 'cause he said he may not be able to go with me on my adventures, but if I show him my stuff, it's like he got to be there anyway, and then he can look at them and tell me what I've found..." Max's voice trailed off as he looked at the picture again. "Did he get hurt somehow?"

"Yeah...he did. He went out to a crime scene one night with Uncle Aubrey, and there was a terrible explosion, and his back got hurt. At first it didn't seem so bad, but…" Michael-Vincent tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "...a few days later, he collapsed at work. As it turned out, he had a really, really bad bruise in his back, and it put a lot of pressure on his spinal cord and damaged some nerves, so he became paralyzed...meaning his legs couldn't move. I was still a little boy...I wasn't even as old as you are now...and it was so hard for me to understand why my daddy couldn't walk around the park with me anymore…" He brushed away a tear. "...but at least he was still alive…" Seeing that Max was upset, Michael-Vincent reached over to rub his shoulder. "It was a difficult time for all of us, and PaJack had to adapt to being in his wheelchair full time. As you can imagine, he was very unhappy, and it took him several months before he was happy again."

"Yeah…" Max studied the picture carefully before asking his father another question. "Why couldn't the doctors fix him and make his back better if it was just a big bruise?"

"Well, sometimes, when a person has some sort of really bad injury, the doctors can't do anything to make it better. PaJack considered having surgery on his back several years ago, but it was risky, and the surgeon wasn't sure it would fully restore his ability to walk." Seeing the unspoken question on Max's face, Michael-Vincent explained as best he could. "When a person doesn't use their muscles for a long time, they quit working right...they sort of waste away. PaJack had been doing some physical therapy to keep the muscles in his legs strong, but the doctor wasn't sure it was enough. There were other things to consider as well, and in the end, he decided not to go through with the operation."

"Did that make you sad?" Max sniffled a bit, knowing how he'd feel if his daddy couldn't walk any more. "I'd be sad if something like that happened to you…"

"To be honest, it did make me sad at first...my daddy was in a wheelchair, and he seemed angry at everyone all the time. I didn't know what I could do to make things better, so I spent a lot of time hanging out in my room, wishing the problem would go away."

"But PaJack seems happy now…"

Michael-Vincent ran his fingers through Max's curls. "He is happy. He finally realized that what makes him a great guy isn't whether or not he can walk. Once he figured out that we all loved him, no matter what, he began to feel better about things. His mind still worked, even if his legs didn't, so he could still do his job. It was a big adjustment, but he made it, finally, and then things began to get a lot better."

Picking up the apple scraps, he put them in the composter. "I'll tell you something else, Max...because PaJack was able to adapt so well after a very bad injury, he taught me that I can adapt to anything, too. I wasn't allowed to make excuses when I was a boy...I couldn't tell him that my homework was too hard, or that I was too tired to do some chore I was supposed to do. And, because PaJack is so smart, he figured out how to do everything he needed to for his job, even though that was very difficult at first. The point is that a person can do a lot of things if they're willing to work hard and never give up."

"Well...except that he still can't walk…"

Michael-Vincent glanced at his son, wondering if the boy meant to be snarky. Satisfied that it was just a child's bluntness, he nodded in agreement. "No, he can't, but he can do almost everything else. You've seen his arm muscles, right? His upper body is really strong." Seeing Max nod, he continued. "Did you know that many years ago he used his arms to climb down a rope into an elevator shaft at a crime scene?"

"Wow…" Max was impressed. "He's told me some stories about his job, but I didn't know about that one."

"I'm sure he'll tell you all about it if you want him to."

"I hope so. I like the stories he tells me, like the one about when he was looking for pirate treasure in a real deep well filled with water." Max chuckled a bit as he closed the album. "He didn't really find pirate treasure, did he, Daddy?"

"Yes, actually, he did...it was a very long time ago, though. You see, before he got hurt, he used to go underwater diving in caves, so he had experience being in cramped places like that…"

"No way…" Max grinned as he put his paper towel in the trash.

"Way! Call him up! We'll ask him…"

Oooooooooo

Later that evening, Christine handed her husband a beer and settled next to him on the sofa. "It sounds like you and Max had an interesting conversation this afternoon." Seeing his hesitation, she laughed softly. "He told me all about it...about how you called your dad and then Hodgins explained about the pirate coins he'd found…"

"Oh...yeah." Michael-Vincent took a sip of his beer and shook his head. "You know, I guess I haven't thought about it for awhile, but when I was explaining to Max about how my dad adapted to being paralyzed, it reminded me of how much he went through...I know he grieved for the loss of his way of life before the injury. He's told me about how upset he was with himself that he'd taken everything for granted...and yet, he didn't let it keep him down for long. He worked hard, and he never gave up..."

"Hodgins is an amazing man." Christine snuggled close to her husband and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Just like his son."

"Well, thanks...I just hope we're never put to the test. I'm not sure I'd do as well as he did…"

"I don't know...I bet you'd be just fine.." She smiled as she put her arm around him. "And it's not like I want to find out, either, but I have confidence in you. We can handle anything, as long as we're together."

* * *

 _ **I know you may be wondering why there aren't any Christmas chapters, since this is a Christmas challenge. I'm reserving them for the end of the story.**_

 ** _Thanks for reading. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it._**


	5. Chapter 5

_**This next chapter may be a tiny bit angsty for a Christmas challenge, but I think it fits my overall theme well. It is more AU because I've filled in some details that we didn't really have...at least as far as I could tell...**_

* * *

Yawning and rubbing her sleepy eyes as she came downstairs early one Saturday morning, Christine was surprised to find her eldest child sitting at the kitchen counter, eating a big bowl of cereal. Seeley wasn't normally an early riser, but it was obvious that something had been bothering him for the last week or so, and now it appeared that something had also kept him from sleeping well. He hadn't been his usual cheerful, talkative self recently, choosing instead to spend a lot of his free time alone in his bedroom. Always the extroverted life of the party, he had taken up the life of a hermit for some reason, and Christine was beginning to worry about him.

As she poured herself a cup of coffee, she wondered if he'd finally be willing to open up to her about what was upsetting him. _Well...here goes…_ "Good morning, Seeley. You're up early."

"Yup." He poured himself another bowlful and added some milk. "I was hungry."

"I see." She sat down on the stool next to him, quietly sipping her coffee as he munched a spoonful of cereal. After a few minutes of silence, he pushed the bowl away and cleared his throat softly.

"Hey, um...Mom? Can I talk to you about something, and you not get mad?"

A thousand frantic thoughts swirled through Christine's head as she contemplated her son's question. _Is his girlfriend pregnant? Is he failing his classes at school? Does he have a sexually transmitted disease?_ "Of course, Seeley. You know you can talk to me about anything. I mean, I can't promise that I won't be mad to begin with, but you know I usually cool down after…

"After a couple of weeks or so. Yeah, I know." He grinned at her as he got up to put the cereal in the pantry and his bowl in the sink. "It's just that…" Words seemed to fail him for a few seconds as he stood in the middle of the kitchen before opening the refrigerator to put the milk away. "I guess you heard that Beth's brother got called up...he'll be leaving for his deployment next week, and he'll probably be gone about a year."

"Yes, her mother told me the news several days ago. I know it must be hard on her family…"

"Yeah, it is. I guess he'll be away from the main combat zone, but still...it's kind of scary for them." Walking over to the end of the counter, Seeley picked up the battered photo album. "Anyway, with all that's been happening, I've been thinking about Pops." He opened the book to his grandfather's formal service picture. "He was a Ranger, right?"

Christine studied the picture of her handsome father in his uniform, and then glanced at her son, once again amazed at how similar in appearance they were. "Yes. The Rangers are an elite group of soldiers, and Pops has always been very proud that he served with them."

"And his grandfather? And his dad, and his brother? And your brothers? They all served in the military, too…"

Nodding as she leafed through the book, Christine found some more photographs to show Seeley. "The first Pops...Hank Booth...served during the Korean Conflict. Your great grandfather Edwin served in Viet Nam, and Pops' brother Jared was in the Navy. Uncle Parker is an officer in the Coast Guard and an instructor at their academy, and Uncle Hank was a Cyber Intelligence officer in the Army for several years until he married your Aunt Carla and decided not to reenlist." Feeling slightly uncomfortable with the line of questioning, she looked quizzically at her son, reaching out to caress his arm. "Seeley...are you thinking of joining the military? I didn't realize you were interested in that sort of thing..."

"Yeah, well...maybe...I don't know." Embarrassed, he turned away from his mother. "With me being mostly an artist, I'm not sure I have any skills that the armed forces would want anyway." He shrugged her hand away from his shoulder and carried the album into the family room. "I just know how proud Pops is when he tells me that Booths have served in the military for so many years, and even though technically I'm not a Booth, I thought...you know...I want him to be proud of me, Mom. I want him to know that I'm carrying on the tradition…" Quickly brushing away a tear, he sniffled slightly. "I can't join yet...I'm too young...but I could tell him I'm thinking about it…and I think it would make him so happy...I mean, I know you and Dad might not be thrilled with the idea, but it seems like someone needs to make sure the tradition continues..."

"Oh, Seeley…", Christine began softly as she slumped onto the sofa. "Come here and sit with me for a minute." She patted a seat on the couch, and he plopped down next to her, allowing himself to be embraced as she tenderly rubbed his back. "Your Pops is already so proud of you, no matter what you do with your life, and he always will be. If you want to enlist in the armed services, then, of course, your dad and I will support your decision, but don't do it just because you want to impress your Pops, okay? He loves you very much just the way you are…you don't have to prove anything to him."

"I know…it's just a thought, Mom. I haven't really made a firm decision one way or another about what to do after high school." He turned to another page in the album, which held photographs that seemed to have been taken in a hospital room. "This was after Pops came home from Desert Storm, right? After he was rescued? That's him and his grandfather..."

"Yes...your Pops with his Pops, there at Walter Reed." Sighing softly, she shook her head. "I was about your age when he showed me this photograph for the first time. He usually doesn't discuss his time as a prisoner of war. After all these years, it's still too painful...on several levels." Christine bit her lip as she looked at the picture in question. She could still hear the raw emotion in her father's voice as he'd explained to her what had happened…

Oooooooooo

 _Hank Booth stood ramrod straight at the nurses' station outside of the orthopedic floor at Walter Reed, furiously pounding on the counter. "I want to see my grandson...now!"_

 _The nurse was apologetic as she explained the situation. "He's under heavy sedation, Mr. Booth...he probably won't even know you're visiting. Why don't you come back tomorrow? Sergeant Booth should be more alert then."_

" _I ain't leaving this goddamn hospital without having a look at him, okay? I'm not gonna wait another day to see him, and I don't give a damn about any sedation or anything else like that. I don't care if he knows I'm here or not. You get that doctor on the horn right now and get me permission to go down there if you need to, but permission or not, I'm gonna go see my boy…he needs to know we didn't forget him...that we're gonna be there for him..."_

 _Sighing in exasperation, the nurse finally gave in and walked the stubborn old man down the corridor to the ward where his grandson was recuperating. Gasping softly as he saw the gaunt young soldier stretched out on the bed, Hank let a few tears fall before regaining his composure. He leaned over the bed and whispered quietly. "Shrimp? Shrimp, it's me...it's your Pops. I came to see you as soon as I could. Nana couldn't make the trip this time, but she can't wait to have you home…"_

 _Moaning softly, the young man's eyelids fluttered open and he grunted in pain as he tried to sit up. "Pops? Is it really you? Oh, Jesus, Pops...I'm so glad to see you…owww...what the fuck...I hurt real bad...like I got hit by a semi or something..."_

" _Easy, son...of course, it's really me. We were sure worried about you, Shrimp, but the doc says you're gonna be fine...you just rest now…I just wanted to make sure you were okay...I had to see you with my own two eyes."_

 _All the fear and anguish his grandson had been trying to suppress over the past few weeks rushed forth in a frenzied torrent of words. "But I'm not gonna be fine, Pops...not at all." Tears rolled down Shrimp's cheeks as he reached for his grandfather's hand. "I'm gonna be a cripple for the rest of my life…my ankle is broken, and a lot of the bones in my feet were crushed by those mother fuckers...I may never walk right again…doc says surgery may not completely fix them, either...I won't be able to work...you'll have to take care of me forever..."_

" _Now you listen here, Shrimp…you're gonna be fine...", Hank blustered, trying to be brave as he comforted his grandson. "Things are gonna be okay…they know all about patching up soldiers at this fancy hospital..."_

 _The younger Booth was unashamed of his tears as he tightly gripped his grandfather's hand. "We topped that ridge, and they jumped us, spraying us with gunfire...there were so many of them...they just kept coming...I tried, Pops...I tried to get away...I really did...but Jeff and Mike...they were just lying there dead, you know? I tried to protect them, but I couldn't do it. And then I tried to run, but there were too many of them chasing me...and they caught up with me. I was surrounded...and they grabbed me. They wanted me to tell them things about my platoon, but I didn't...no matter how much they beat my feet and legs with those rubber rods, over and over again...I didn't tell them anything…it hurt so bad, Pops, but I was trying to be brave..." Sniffling softly, he shook his head. "I tried to do the right thing, and now I may never walk again…and Jeff and Mike...goddammit, Pops! They were my guys! I was supposed to be in charge…I was supposed to keep them safe…and now they're gone...it was all my fault..."_

 _Hank's heart broke as he rubbed his grandson's hand. "I know you feel bad, son...I know, but it wasn't your fault. I know you did everything you could for them, right? You did your best. Now you just rest, okay? We're gonna get through this together, because we're family...you'll see…we're gonna make it…you're gonna walk again…we just gotta trust the doctor, okay? Don't give up...me and Nana are gonna be with you all the way, too, Shrimp...I'm sorry about your buddies, but I'm so glad you're home..."_

Oooooooooo

"So that's why his feet hurt so bad all the time? Why it's hard for him to get around now? Because his captors crushed his feet with those rubber hoses? Jesus, that's terrible!" Seeley closed his eyes and shook his head, not wanting to think about the horrible torture his grandfather had endured while he was a prisoner of war. "But I don't understand, Mom. If this is such a painful memory for Pops, why would he keep these pictures? I'd imagine he'd rather forget about that time in his life..."

"Well, partly because those are pictures of his Pops, but also because they serve as a reminder for him...for all of us, I suppose. He overcame those injuries with a lot of hard work and determination. He wasn't going to let 'those bastards' have any say over his life. He's always said that he was living proof of that saying 'you can't keep a good man down'. After several surgeries and months of physical therapy, he was able to walk again, and then eventually he was able to pass the FBI's physical so he could go to Quantico. You know Pops...he's never going to be a quitter…"

"True." Seeing his mother's pensive expression, Seeley grimaced slightly. "So did you tell me that story so I'd think twice about enlisting?"

She shrugged, wearing a tender smile as she closed the album. "Maybe that was part of it, but I was more interested in you seeing what makes your Pops tick. It's not so much the military service he values, although he does value that a lot. I think it's more that he values a life filled with duty and honor in one form or another. Whatever you choose to do, Seeley, you need to do your best at it. You always need to think of others, too, and be the leader you're meant to be, whether it's as an athlete, a student, an employee, or even in the artwork you do for your own pleasure. if you're interested on making your Pops extra proud of you, always do your very best no matter what it is your doing." Glancing at the clock, she smiled as she patted her son's knee. "You know, it might be a good idea for you to go talk to him this morning...just the two of you...see for yourself what he thinks about you enlisting." Giggling as Seeley rolled his eyes at her, she pretended to be annoyed. "Just don't tell him you want to join the Navy, okay?"

"Okay, Mom." Pushing himself up off the couch, Seeley bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Hey...don't tell Dad anything about this yet, alright? I still need to think it over...do a little research...and I don't want PaJack to freak out if Dad lets it slip…"

"It'll be our secret, son." She winked at him, and he grinned back at her. "Go get dressed. I'll call Pops and Grammy and see if they're going to be home. Who knows? They may have left for Timbuktu…"

She sighed softly as she watched her son sprint up the stairs towards his room. Of her three children, Seeley was the one who was most like her own father...the one with the strong sense of pride...the strong sense of duty. It wouldn't surprise her if he'd come home from visiting his grandparents and announce that he was ready to join the Army. And he was right...Pops would be so proud if his grandson were to make that decision.

Picking up the old book from the table, she thumbed through the worn pages once again. Her little boy was growing up. Soon he might be ready to add his name to the long line of Booths who'd served their country proudly, and if he did, she'd make sure there would be a page ready for him in that old album.

* * *

 _ **If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it.**_

 _ **Starting with tomorrow's chapter, I'll be posting in the afternoon. Thanks for reading.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A look back at a story we all know...**_

* * *

After enjoying a wonderful meal in celebration of her birthday, Christine was smiling happily as she listened to her family's pleasant chatter while they gathered in the living room. To her way of thinking, this had always been the best part of her birthday parties...her family was together, and it was time to share pleasant memories and to tell tall tales. Her elderly parents slowly eased themselves into their favorite chairs, and her in laws had soon found their favorite spots as well...Hodgins had moved his wheelchair next to Angela's normal spot on the end of the sofa. Finally settled and content, they all looked at their hostess expectantly.

"Well?", Booth asked impatiently, his voice raspy with age. "Where's that damn photo album you keep talking about, Christine?" He pretended to glare at his wife. "I can't believe Bones went off and left it at the old house…I knew I should've checked the upper shelf in that closet again..."

"Given how unsteady you can be on your feet from time to time, I'm not sure it would've been advisable for you to stand on a step stool to inspect that shelf, Booth.", Brennan said primly. "Anyway, things turned out well, so it's not a problem, is it?"

Christine couldn't help but smile as she listened to another round of her parents' playful bickering. "I'm glad we found it.", she said cheerfully. "The kids have enjoyed looking at all the pictures in it."

"I bet." Hodgins grinned as he saw Max lug a large book into room. "What'cha got there, Buddy?"

Smiling proudly, the boy handed the book to his father. "It's the album. Look...I marked the page with Mom's first baby picture on it."

"Well, so you did!" Michael-Vincent arched an eyebrow at his wife. "There's my little 'Stapes'...what a cutie...look at that pudgy little baby belly..."

Cringing at his comment, Christine tried to take the book from her husband, who held it just out of her reach. "Mikey...stop it!", she cried. "Nobody needs to see that…"

"What's wrong?", he teased. "Are you afraid everyone will still think you have a pudgy belly?" Grinning as he showed off the picture, he shook his head. "Nope...she's slim and trim…even in her 'old age'..."

"You were a cute baby, Mom. Hey, Pops…" Teen-aged Seeley turned to his grandfather. "Tell us about what happened on the day Mom was born. It was quite an adventure, wasn't it?"

"Aww...you kids don't wanna hear that old story again, do ya?" Booth chuckled at his daughter's embarrassment. "Seems like I tell it every year about this time…"

"Please, Pops?", Joy wheedled. "I love that story…"

"Yeah, we do, too!", the boys exclaimed together. "C'mon, Pops…"

That was all it took to convince Booth that the story should be related again. "Oh, okay...I guess it couldn't hurt." Glancing at his wife as he got comfortable in his chair, he cleared his throat. "Once upon a time there was a very stubborn woman…"

Brennan regarded him with astonishment. "I am not stubborn…"

Booth acted as if he was shocked. "Like Hell you aren't! Anyway, how do you know I'm talking about you, Bones? There are a lot of stubborn women in the world."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You are recounting Christine's birth, and I do play a rather prominent part in the story…"

"Okay...okay. I'll start over, alright?" Enjoying the laughter from his audience, Booth continued. "Once upon a time there was a very intelligent, very determined woman. Better?" Seeing Brennan nod, he rolled his eyes. "She was also very pregnant...like this pregnant…" He held his arms far away from his abdomen. "...and her husband wanted to her to deliver the baby in a nice, clean, safe hospital…"

"Hospitals are full of disease causing organisms, Booth! That's no place for a child to be born!" Brennan crossed her arms over her chest. "I can't believe we're having this discussion again, after all these years…"

The grandchildren smirked at each other on the sly, all of them knowing that their grandmother's interjections were just part of the show.

"...but you said germs were everywhere, even at our house, so why would it have been better for the baby to be born at home? That made no sense..." Booth exhaled softly. "Anyway, your Grammy was due to have our baby any day, but that didn't keep her from wanting to go out to investigate a case with me, even though I wanted her to stay back at the lab...but, of course, she wasn't be stubborn, you know..."

"Yes, I remember!", Angela cackled softly. "I thought she was crazy to go so far from the city...but what did I know? And she was not about to listen to anyone's opinion, was she, Booth?"

"You got that right…I was in the same boat, okay?" Booth nodded in agreement. "So Grammy insisted on going with me...to a prison! Imagine that, why don't ya? I mean, that place was crawling with germs _and_ a load of bad guys, right? And there was Grammy, walking around like she owned the place...like she wasn't the least little bit scared…"

"I knew the inmates would respect the fact that I was pregnant, and that they wouldn't harm me.", Brennan said smugly. "I was correct, wasn't I?"

"I guess so." Pausing briefly, Booth reached over to pat her hand. "You usually are right...but I remember being so scared that day…some of those guys were really awful, you know?"

"Well, to be honest, I was somewhat frightened myself, but I knew we had a job to do." She smiled as she caressed his shoulder. "Besides...I knew I would worry about you if you were there without me, and I felt safer being with you. I didn't want to be away from you if I experienced the onset of labor…"

Christine couldn't help but sniffle a little bit. "That's so sweet, Mom…"

Her mother nodded. "And practical, too. I knew I'd need Booth to call the midwife I'd engaged to assist with your birth…"

"Yeah...I was gonna call her while we were on the way to the hospital and tell her to forget about coming to our house…" Winking at his grandchildren, Booth leaned forward in his chair. "I wanted to take Grammy home after we did our work at the prison, so she could rest and have some tomato soup, right? Doesn't that sound like a good thing to do on a chilly day? But when we got to the car, your Grandma A called to give Grammy some more information about the crime, and we had to turn around and go back inside. Your Grammy had an idea about where to look for evidence in the prison, and you know what? She was right again! As it turned out, Grammy used some cocoa powder to dust for some fingerprints in a cookbook she'd found in the prison's kitchen, and those fingerprints solved the case. It was great! I was so excited! We could finally go home! So then…we tried to take down the bad guy, but he incited a fight in the prison's dining hall, so we had to stay and get that calmed down." He paused, laughing out loud. "...and then Grammy yells at me to get the guy's shoes for evidence, and _then_ she tells me that we need to leave right then because she's in labor, and the baby is on the way!"

Seeley chuckled before asking the obvious question, even though he already knew the answer. "Why didn't you just go to the prison infirmary and let Mom be born there? They have doctors, and it would've been like a hospital. Wasn't that what you wanted, Pops?"

"What? No kid of mine was gonna be born in a prison ward!" Booth pretended to be exasperated. "No way! There was a hospital about thirty minutes down the road, and I thought we could make it there in time, but as it turned out, Grammy had been in labor all day, and so it was almost time for your Mom to make her appearance. We needed to find a place to stop…"

"But there was no room at the inn, just like in the Christmas story about Baby Jesus, right?", Max asked innocently. "So you had to go to the stable?"

Not wanting to hear his wife ramble on about the Nativity story being a wild fantasy, Booth quickly answered his grandson's question. "Well, there probably was room in the inn, but they were having a big, fancy party there and the manager said he didn't have time to help us…"

"Although somehow he found time when I threatened to give birth on the inn's front lawn.", Brennan chuckled. "He was almost panicked at that thought…"

"Yeah, me, too! So he let us drive around back to an outbuilding, and then he called an ambulance for us. It wasn't really a stable...more like a glorified shed...big enough for a horse's stall and a riding lawnmower, but not much else." Shrugging at his grandchildren, Booth smiled. "The manager wasn't really a bad guy…he brought out some blankets and water for us, after all...and he tried to help Grammy get comfortable..."

"He didn't really need to call the paramedics, though. Your Pops had everything under control." Brennan smiled gently at her husband. "I trusted him completely."

"Yeah, well, I was scared to death, and I was hoping my backup would get there in time, but your mommy was impatient, kiddos. She couldn't wait to get here to see Grammy and me." He sighed as he remembered that afternoon. "So there we were, with the horse and the lawnmower in a tiny shed, while Grammy was in labor. I'd been trained in first aid classes on how to deliver babies, but still...when it's your own kid…I was really worried, but I knew that the ambulance would get there sooner or later…"

"...but Christine arrived before they did. She has always been ahead of the curve…" Grinning at her daughter, Brennan laughed softly. "She was so beautiful...perfect in every way…"

"Yeah, she really was." Booth nodded in agreement. "Anyway, a few minutes later, the ambulance came roaring up the driveway, and everyone at the fancy party came out of the inn to see what was happening in the back of the building. The paramedics hopped out and came running into the shed and checked out Grammy and your mommy...and me, too, because I was sweating like a horse…"

His audience laughed at his comment. "We were both exhausted...and relieved...and deliriously happy that Christine had arrived. It was decided that Grammy and the baby should be checked out at the hospital, so the paramedics loaded both of them up in the ambulance as the onlookers applauded. It was pretty exciting…"

"Sounds like it." Hodgins grinned at Angela. "You were pretty excited, too, weren't you, Babe?"

"Actually, I was terrified! They'd been gone all day, and neither one of them would answer their phone!" Angela shook her finger at Brennan. "You were kind of a difficult best friend, Brennan…"

"Hey, it's not our fault there was no cell tower near by." Booth smirked at his wife. "The best part about the whole thing was that it was kind of late in the afternoon by the time we got to the hospital, and the hospital's OB/GYN was already gone for the day, so the ER doctor wanted to admit Grammy and the baby for the night. Grammy was too tired to put up much of a fight, so we stayed overnight at the hospital until she and Christine could be given the official okey-dokey the next day and then we came home."

"So you both got what you wanted, right?" Joy had heard the story enough times to know what had happened next. "Mommy wasn't born in a hospital, but she got to spend the night in one. That makes sense…"

"Yeah, I guess. Grammy said it was a good thing your mommy was born in a shed so that she'd be exposed to all sorts of germs and bugs and grass and a whole bunch of other things, like farm kids are, but somehow germy hospitals are still kind of bad, according to her. " Booth winked at his granddaughter. "I think it's because the nurses at the hospital try to order Grammy around, and she doesn't like that very much."

"Booth! That has nothing to do with it! I just think birth is a natural process that doesn't need to be confined to a health facility…", Brennan protested. "Christine was perfectly healthy…'

"Well, I'm glad we had her checked out by the hospital's pediatrician anyway." He leaned back in his chair as he continued to reminisce. "I'd spent most of the evening on the phone, trying to let everyone know what had happened, and then I had tried to sleep in an armchair in Grammy's room, so we were both pretty tired when we left the hospital. With everything that had happened, it was early the next evening before we got home...and guess what? There was a surprise waiting for us! Aunt Cam and Grandma A and PaJack were waiting with us, along with a couple of our friends…"

"It was such a pleasant surprise! We didn't have to cook for several days because of all the food they'd brought. Your Grandma A had made that sign that you see in the picture... _Welcome, Stapes…_ "

"Because the stapes is the smallest bone of the body!", the grandchildren said in unison.

"That's a great story, Pops. Thanks for telling it again." Joy gave her grandfather a kiss on the cheek. "I love happy endings."

"Yeah, it is good, isn't it?" Booth glanced at his daughter with a twinkle in his eye. "Hard to believe it was so many years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday…"

"So many years ago?!", Christine gasped. "I'm not that old…"

"I don't know...you're over forty, right?" Brennan chuckled as she took her daughter's hand. "We're just teasing you, Sweetheart. You have a long, happy life in front of you…"

"I know, Mom...and if I'm as blessed with friends as you and Dad have been, I'll be a very lucky woman."

"Happy birthday, Christine.", her parents said in unison as they held out their arms to embrace her.

"Thanks, Mom...Dad...thanks for everything." She hugged both of them tenderly. "My life has been so happy because of you. You're the best parents a girl could have." Looking around at her family, Christine grinned. "Okay...who wants cake?"

Her children were off like a shot, racing each other to the table. Chuckling as he watched them jostle for position, Booth put his arm around his wife. "Christine's right, you know...we've been very lucky."

Brennan's eyes sparkled with mischief. "You know I don't believe in luck…"

"Well, how else would you explain it? All the good things that have happened to us?", Booth teased. "Random chance? No way…"

"We've been careful to do things the right way, Booth...we've lived the right way...we've planned ahead…we've done research...we've invested our money wisely..."

"Yeah, but all the planning in the world can't replace sheer dumb luck, Bones…"

The couple continued to bicker as they ate their cake and ice cream, much to Christine's delight. _Just like they always have...some things never change..._

Christine smiled to herself as she ate a bite of cake. It had been a wonderful birthday...made better by being able to share it with her parents once again, and, hopefully, she'd be able to do so for many more years to come.

* * *

 _ **Thanks for reading. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Now for something a little bit different...**_

* * *

It was the headline of the short article in the professional journal that had caught Christine's eye.

 _ **RACHAEL AUBREY-OLMSTEAD EARNS BUCKNER RESEARCH GRANT**_

Her curiosity piqued, she quickly skimmed the column, pleased to find that it was ' _her'_ Rachael who was the subject of the article in the online publication. Smiling to herself, she was pleased to see the young woman's picture at the end, her dark hair framing her ivory complexion and bright green eyes.

The prestigious research award, designed to further advancements in biomedical engineering, was a great honor for the young woman. Her focus had been on the use of gene splicing to eliminate certain inherited disorders. As a genetic counselor, Christine had been very interested in the project. She longed for the day when she could offer more hope to prospective parents who were faced with the possibility of passing on a genetic disorder to their offspring.

She sighed softly as she remembered her mother-in-law expressing her grave concerns about Michael-Vincent passing on the gene for Leber Congenital Amaurosis, knowing that might cause blindness in their own children. Fortunately, his genetic testing had shown that he wasn't a carrier...somehow he'd been lucky enough to have inherited two dominant genes from his parents and there was no chance the disorder would be passed on to their children. _We really dodged a bullet on that one._

After calling Rachael to arrange a congratulatory lunch date, Christine nodded in satisfaction as she reached for the old photo album at the end of the counter. It was hard to imagine now, but there had been a time when it was doubtful that the young woman's parents would actually become a couple with children of their own. She turned to the page that held their wedding picture, reminiscing about their misadventures…

Oooooooooo

It had only been a day after Dr. Saroyan's wedding to Dr. Vasiri, and Christine was still enraptured by the beautiful fairy tale that had seemed to play out before her eyes. As she colored a picture in her father's office, she babbled about all the details to her Uncle Aubrey, not realizing how dejected he was that day.

"I loved it!", the little girl giggled. "I got to wear Dr. Saroyan's veil and everything! I love weddings, don't you, Uncle Aubrey?" As she held up her picture for him to see, she grinned. "Look...this is how it'll be when you and Miss Jessica get married!"

Gritting his teeth, Aubrey tried to swallow the lump in his throat. After getting completely sloshed at the wedding reception, he'd awakened in the guest room at Karen's apartment, cringing in embarrassment as his girlfriend stood over him with a pained expression on her face. Then he'd made matters much worse by asking Jessica to move to Los Angeles with him...as an off hand remark...while they were working an active crime scene in a remote area. Evidently it had been more than Jessica could handle, because she'd broken up with him just a few hours ago. _I must be fucking idiot...what was I thinking? And now I've lost her..._

His hopes and dreams had been crushed...he was devastated and heartbroken as he realized there would be no chance of living the rest of his life with Jessica. His future was bleak, but there was no way for Christine to know that...at least not yet. He tried to smile as he studied her innocent drawing. A tall thin man was holding hands with a slender redhead. "That's a real pretty picture…"

"Thanks." Christine scribbled her name across the bottom. "You can keep it if you want." She hesitated as she picked up another sheet of paper. "Uncle Aubrey, when you and Miss Jessica get married, can I come to the wedding?"

Nervously biting his trembling lip, he shrugged. "Um...sure you can…" He paused as he answered his phone. "Aubrey...what? Oh no...when? Really? Jesus…" Obviously horrified, he glanced at Christine and her younger brother, who was curled up in an armchair sound asleep. "Yeah...I'll be there as soon as I can.'' He pocketed the phone and knelt next to Christine. "Honey, I've got to go…take care of a problem. I'm gonna get one of the other agents to come stay with you, okay?"

She nodded solemnly. "When will my mommy and daddy get here? I wanna go home…I'm tired."

Aubrey stared at the child, heaving a sad sigh, unsure of what to tell her. "I know, Sweetheart...I'll tell them as soon as I see them."

Oooooooooo

The next few months had been a blur for Christine and her family. Her mother had suffered a concussion in the explosion at the Jeffersonian, and was still dealing with some occasional memory loss. Her father had been tied up at work, busy with resolving the case and all of the other issues pertaining to Mark Kovacs and his sister.

Jessica had been granted a hiatus from her internship with Dr. Brennan and had enrolled in classes at McGill University in Montreal. Brennan had been sorry to see her intern leave, but she realized the young woman needed to figure out what to do with her life now that she and Aubrey were through. In some ways it was very similar to her decision to travel to the Malukus all those years ago, and she had decided to give her intern the same grace Cam had extended to her when she'd chosen to take part in that expedition.

"I hope you enjoy your year in Canada, Ms. Warren. The classes you've chosen will provide you with an extensive knowledge base. However, I will miss you tremendously..."

"Thank you." Looking uncertain as she twisted a strand of dark red hair around her finger, Jessica sighed. "I appreciate your understanding in this matter, Dr. B. I just need time to work some things out."

"I know. Let me know what you decide." Smiling sadly, she gave her intern a hug. "Keep in touch."

Aubrey, in the meantime, was at loose ends as well. After dating Karen for a few weeks, he'd ended things with her and had been dating a chef who worked at a local barbecue restaurant. Given the woman's magical way with a smoker and various spicy sauces, Booth had figured it was a match made in Heaven, but he knew his friend was still down in the dumps over his failed relationship with Jessica. The only thing that would help Aubrey recover would be time...and perhaps copious amounts of ribs. Aubrey would have to figure out how to live without Jessica in his life, whether he liked it or not.

Oooooooooo

Booth was working in his office one afternoon about six months later, trying to clear a stack of files, when a breathless Aubrey suddenly appeared in his office doorway.

"She's back...I just saw her at the Jeffersonian. She missed DC, so she decided not to stay in Montreal…"

"Whoa there, Aubrey. What are you babbling about?" Booth smiled to himself as he looked up from his computer. "Who's back?"

"Jessica! I saw her when I went over to the Jeffersonian to pick up that evidence packet. Angela said Dr. B is going to let her pick up her internship where she left off…I guess she's here to stay..."

Pretending to be surprised, Booth nodded at the news. "I see. So did you talk to her?"

Slumping into a chair, Aubrey shook his head. "No...I didn't know what to say. 'Sorry I was a jackass?' That doesn't seem to cut it…so I avoided her..."

"Yeah, but you can't avoid her forever. I mean, sooner or later, you'll have a case together." Booth shrugged a shoulder. "I think an apology would be a good place to start, don't you?" He smirked as he turned back to his computer. "Well, I'm sure you'll think of something to say sooner or later. So let's have that packet…"

Aubrey's face went blank before he blushed furiously. "SHIT! I left without it! Okay...okay, I'll just call downstairs and get a courier to go pick it up…"

"Like Hell you will.", Booth growled, secretly pleased that Angela had played her part in the subterfuge so well. "This late in the day? They'll be backed up with service requests, and we won't get it until tomorrow." He sat back in his chair, pressing his fingertips together as he glared sternly at the man in front of him. "You'd better just go back to the lab and pick it up yourself."

"What? I'm a Special Agent in Charge, not an errand boy! Why should I put myself out when we've got people who get paid to do that sort of shit?" Aubrey narrowed his eyes at his friend as he continued his angry rant. "I don't have time…you know that...I've got piles of paper to get through, just like you do..."

"Well, I don't want to wait any more. We need to get this case taken care of as soon as we can, and we're at a standstill until we get that information. This is a huge joint operation between our divisions, right? And you said you had time to pick that thing up after lunch, but you didn't because you got distracted by some pretty woman, so now you've gotta make it right. So go get that fucking packet…"

Knowing that Booth wasn't going to give in, Aubrey quickly rose from his chair, huffing an irritated sigh. "Fine! I'll be back in an hour with your precious evidence!"

"Fine!" Watching his friend stride through the bullpen on the way to the elevator, Booth laughed out loud before he called his wife. "Angela did a good job with the distractions. Our pigeon is on his way…"

Oooooooooo

"Ms. Warren, someone from the FBI will be here shortly to pick up this folder. I have an appointment, so I'm leaving it with you. You can wait here in my office until they arrive. Please make sure they sign for it so we can maintain a proper chain of evidence."

"From the FBI?" Jessica's heart was thumping madly as she considered the possibilities. "Who is it?"

Brennan frowned slightly as she picked up her bag. "I have no way of knowing that. I'm sure whoever it is will present proper credentials. Now, I really must be going." Biting her lip to keep from giggling, Brennan nodded to her intern. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay." Jessica tried to remain calm as she skimmed through messages on her phone. "It could be almost anyone.", she muttered to herself. "There are literally hundreds of agents at the Hoover. The chances of it being Aubrey…" She shook off her wild thoughts. Since arriving back in DC she had steadfastly resisted the urge to call him. After all, she'd been the one to end the relationship, and it would be awkward...admitting she'd made a hasty mistake and asking for a second chance was too embarrassing. _No...he won't want to talk to me...and I don't blame him…"_

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps jogging toward the office.

"Hey, Dr. B...I'm in kind of a hur…" Aubrey stopped in mid sentence as he saw who was waiting for him. He was trapped...there was no way to leave gracefully. "Oh...hey...Jessica." Closing his eyes for a moment, he struggled with his composure. _I gotta be cool...calm…yeah, right…_ "I'm supposed to see Dr. Brennan about an evidence packet…"

"She, um...she left it for you." Feeling herself blushing, Jessica cleared her throat. "Don't forget to sign for it." She handed him a pen and felt a small jolt of adrenaline as his fingers brushed hers. "Are you, uh...I mean...you know...how are you? You look...happy...I guess things...are good...for you...and...all?"

"Kinda...I mean...I've been busy, you know, with the promotion and all…learning...stuff...you know, things like that..."

Inhaling deeply, Jessica collected her thoughts. "I'm surprised you didn't take that job in LA.", she said quietly. "Being single and all...I'd think LA would be a good place to start over."

"Yeah, well...I considered it, but I don't know anyone out there, and moving across the country is a huge undertaking, you know? It just didn't seem as appealing once I figured out I'd be out there by myself." Coughing slightly, he studied the desk in front of him. "I'm surprised you didn't finish out the year at McGill. It's a prestigious university…"

"It is, but I decided I needed more than just academic hours." She fidgeted with a paperclip. "I need someone who cares about me…" Seeing Aubrey's surprise, she hastily finished her sentence. "You know, someone like Dr. B…"

"I get that. I guess everyone needs that." Aubrey tapped his foot anxiously. There was so much he wanted to say, but he desperately wanted to avoid looking like a fool. "Well, I'd better be going. Booth says needs this stuff as soon as possible." He quickly signed the form and pushed it towards Jessica. "I guess I'll see you around…" He picked up the file and started for the door.

"Aubrey...wait." Jessica rose from her chair and reached out to take his hand. "I'm...I'm sorry, okay? Ending things like I did, out of the blue...without us talking things through? That wasn't really fair to you, especially with the Kovacs case going on. I should've been more considerate of your feelings, but I panicked, I guess. I was afraid…" Blinking back tears, she tried to smile. "I know I don't have any right to say so, but I've missed you a lot, and I was wondering...can we be friends again? Can we go back to the way things were?"

He shook his head as he looked out into the hallway. "I don't think so." A faint smile played on his lips as he heard her defeated sigh. "I'm not going to be satisfied with being just friends, Jessica. I want so much more for you and me...a lot more." He gently tucked a strand of dark red hair behind her ear. "Look...I know I was a royal jerk, okay? I know you felt like I was taking you for granted, and that I was pushing you to make a commitment that you weren't comfortable with...something that maybe I didn't have the right to ask for, anyway. I assumed that you would just know what I wanted without us talking it over. I get that now, and I'm sorry for that." He shook his head as he thought things through. "I guess we both messed things up badly, huh?"

"Yeah...I guess so." She tilted her head to one side, uncertain of what to say next. "Would it help if I said that I regret making such a stupid choice? I mean, I was angry with you, but...perhaps I overreacted. I know you weren't really trying to shut me out...but I was trying to be proactive. I was pretty sure you were going to LA, and that I was just an afterthought, so I was trying to make things easier for you. But that wasn't true, was it? You still cared...for me..."

"And maybe I didn't react enough. I should've let you know about that promotion as soon as I knew, but I was pretty sure you wouldn't want to leave DC, and it seemed like there wasn't ever a good time to discuss it. I was too busy thinking of myself and how to handle things to see what you thought. I was afraid to man up and talk to you about it." He stared at his shoes for a few seconds, shaking his head. Finally he exhaled slowly. "Look, we have a lot of stuff to muddle through before we can make things work between us, but I'm willing to try again...if you are, that is. So...what do you think? Are you willing to give us a second chance?"

"Definitely." She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss. "And a third chance...and a fourth...as many chances as necessary. I'm so sorry I hurt you, James…"

"Well, I hurt you, too, so we're even." He kissed her gently before winking at her. "But speaking of getting hurt, I better get this folder over to Booth, alright? I'll call you as soon as I get off work...we have a lot to talk about…"

"I'll be waiting." Seeing the pleased look on his face, Jessica decided to take a chance. "I love you, James...I always have. I'm just sorry it took me so long to figure it out."

He exhaled slowly, joy filling his soul as he drew her close. "I love you, too, Jessica, and I always will. Don't worry...everything's gonna be better now. I'm never gonna let you go..."

Oooooooooo

Christine chuckled happily as she turned the pages in the old album. There was her picture, dressed as a flower girl for Aubrey and Jessica's wedding. On the next page was a picture of Rachael's christening, with her own mother and father serving as godparents for the tiny baby. The following pages were full of photographs and mementos, including the invitation to Aubrey's retirement party, which had celebrated his work as a director with the FBI, and a campaign flyer from his senatorial race. Jessica's honors had been numerous as well, including being named as professor of the year at American University.

Their four children had grown to be fine adults who contributed in many ways to society, both in the arts and in science. Now in their seventies, Aubrey and Jessica were enjoying a quiet retirement in Roanoke, but they still made an effort to visit DC during the Christmas holidays.

Closing the album, Christine sipped her tea as she looked out of her kitchen window. Such wonderful people, doing such wonderful things, and all because her mother and father had decided to play matchmaker for their friends.

* * *

 _ **If you're interested in a longer version of this story, check out Love and Carbonite, which is being written as a collaboration between mphs95 and me under the pen name of Lachelle Nepper.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Sometimes a girl needs her grandmother to set her straight...**_

* * *

Sighing softly, Michael-Vincent tried to placate his agitated wife as she sat on the sofa. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this…"

"I doubt it." Inhaling deeply to control her anger, Christine shook her head as she read the message again. "Ms. Rosenberg, Joy's academic counselor, was quite succinct. Our daughter has not been working up to her potential in any of her classes this semester. This is so unlike her...Joy has always been such a good student..."

"What...does she have a B in Art or something?" He looked over his wife's shoulder to read what was on the screen. "I'm sure it's no big deal…"

Scowling up at her husband, Christine let out an frustrated scoff. "I wish it were as simple as that. Joy has a D in Spanish, a D in Language Arts, and an F in Geography, of all things. She's always loved Social Studies. She's barely making C's in Algebra and in Physical Science..."

"Oh, wow...let me see that…" He glanced through his daughter's grades on the school's education management program. "Well, here's the trouble...look at all of these missing assignments! What has she been doing in class?" Crossing his arms over his chest, he glared at the information on the tablet. "And now I wonder what she's been doing during her study time instead of her homework. We're going to have to supervise her much more closely in the future…"

"I agree." Christine frowned as she closed the program. "I was hoping she could handle the transition to middle school without us having to push her every step of the way, but it seems I've badly misjudged her maturity level. Her work ethic seems to have evaporated with the onset of puberty..."

"Well, let's get her down here and she what she has to say for herself. Seeing his wife's nod of approval, he walked over to the stairs. "Joy...I need you to come downstairs right now. Your mother and I want to talk to you."

An exasperated sigh filtered down the stairs, followed by a loud groan as Joy slouched into the family room. She slumped down on a chair, rolling her eyes at her parents. "Well? What is it? I'm busy…"

"Evidently not 'busy' enough!", Christine began loudly. "Your school counselor has been in touch with us…"

Michael-Vincent held up his hand to calm his wife. "Joy...we've received some disturbing information from your counselor, and we're concerned about your grades.", he said quietly. "It seems as if you've hit a snag in your coursework. Are you having trouble understanding what's being taught?"

"Mrs. Rosenberg? That crazy old woman needs to mind her own business." The girl's lower lip jutted out in a sullen pout. "Of course I 'understand' that ridiculous garbage they're teaching us, Dad. I just don't need to know anything they're trying to teach me, so I've decided not to learn any of it. I also don't think I need to make good grades simply to prove to my teachers or to you that I know some worthless facts. If it's important, I'll retain it. Otherwise, I'll just ignore it." Pleased to see her parents were suitably shocked, she checked her nails before rising from the chair. "Is there anything else? I want to get back to my game…I'm on level 8..."

"Yes, there is something else. Sit down!" Inhaling deeply, her father was trying desperately to remain composed. "What do you mean...worthless facts? Why do you think you don't need to know anything they're 'forcing you to learn' at school? You've always loved school, Joy…"

"I mean I won't need any of them in my chosen profession. I'm going to produce online graphic novels with my friend Natalie when I grow up. She's going to illustrate, and I'm going to write the stories. There are a lot of online publishers that are looking for new talent…they pay well, too. We'll be famous...and rich."

"But you'll still need a college education." Christine shook her finger at her daughter. "Besides, you're only 12. You can't possibly to know what you want to do for a career…"

"Grammy said she knew what she wanted to do for a job when she was my age." Joy shrugged insolently. "I don't see why I can't know what I want to do already. But leave it to you, Mom...always raining on my parade with your logic and reason. You're so sanctimonious...pushing me to achieve your version of 'perfection'. " She made sarcastic air quotes. "You always have to ruin my plans, don't you? I think you live merely to crush my dreams."

Christine was visibly upset. "Oh, Sweetheart...you know that's not true...I just think it would be wise to have a backup plan…surely you know how rapidly online publishing is changing..."

"Yeah, I get it. Whatever. You think I'm gonna be a failure at being a writer, so I'd better hit the books like a good little drone." Sniffling, the preteen wiped away the tears that were beginning to run down her cheeks. "This is all your fault, anyway, Mom! Why do I have to be so smart? Why do I have to take advanced classes designed for separating nerds from the rest of society? Is it to make you happy? Maybe I don't want to do that! Maybe I want to be ordinary! I just want to be a normal kid, okay? I want to be just like everyone else! I'm tired of everyone teasing me...of them picking on me because they think I like being better than them at school stuff. Did you know that Cade Farley calls me 'a brainiac'? All of his friends think that's hilarious, so now they call me that, too. They think I like to show off how smart I am! Well, I don't! I just want to be average...and do average things, like most average girls my age do! I don't want to spend hours on homework just because you think that's what I should do! Why is that so hard to understand? I want to blend in, not stand out." She shrugged away her mother's comforting hand. "I hate you! Just leave me alone, okay?" Wiping her nose with the back of her hand, Joy rose from the chair and ran up the stairs to her room.

Glancing at his wife, a stunned Michael-Vincent pursed his lips slightly. "Hmm...that went well, didn't it?

Christine exhaled slowly. "That definitely wasn't what I expected."

Oooooooooo

"I don't know what to do, Mom." Christine set a mug of steaming herbal tea in front of her mother before joining her at the kitchen table. "Joy seems to have completely given up on her schoolwork. She's become defiant, too. I never thought my sweet little girl would turn into such a hellion…"

Patting her daughter's hand, Brennan smiled as she sat back in her chair. "Surely you realize that defying one's mother is a rite of passage...that it's part of growing up. Don't you remember shaving the sides of your head bald so you could emulate your favorite singer? I was not happy about that…"

"Yeah, and Dad came unglued, didn't he?" Christine chuckled softly as she stirred her tea. "But that was different. That didn't affect my grades at school…and Joy is so smart. I hate to see her fail…"

"You're correct...Joy is extremely intelligent. That's why she's chosen to rebel against your authority by getting poor grades. She knows how much that bothers you." Sipping her tea, the anthropologist shrugged. "It seems she is right…"

"So...what? I should just let her make bad grades? You never did that...I always did well in school. I always had to toe the line." Christine was horrified. "...and how she does this year will determine her placement for next year…and in high school..."

"You should encourage her to do her best, of course, but perhaps you should put less emphasis on the grade she receives and more on what she's learning." Seeing Christine's confusion, Brennan sighed softly. "As an anthropologist, I know humans are pack animals. We want to belong to our group. As a child begins to mature, the struggle between achieving individuality while still being part of the group can be quite unsettling, especially with the onset of puberty. Even while she's rebelling, I imagine she's still soaking up knowledge, although her percentages may not indicate to what extent. I'd suggest you set a standard for her to achieve, with rewards for success and consequences for failure, and then let her figure things out on her own without prodding her too much. Now is the time for her to learn how unpleasant failure can be, before she goes to high school." She took another sip of tea. "Am I correct in assuming Joy has a crush on a young man in her class?"

"I think so...she mentions a boy named Cade on a regular basis…and I guess he's been teasing her about being so smart." Christine's brows knit as she realized what her mother was telling her. "So you're saying it's normal for her to act like this?"

"To some extent, yes. She has to test the limits to learn what is acceptable. Your job is to set those limits. I'm sure you've established protocols for how to handle her disrespect…"

"You mean like taking away all of her privileges? Definitely." Christine grinned as she got up to fix another cup of tea. "Her father and I were adamant about that, and about her improving her grades. I believe Joy got the message."

"Good."

They sat in a pleasant silence for a few minutes until Christine cleared her throat. "Mom? How did you figure it out? I mean, how did you know how to deal with Hank and me?"

"A lot of it came from practical experience. I made a lot of mistakes, and I learned from them, and your father helped, too. I watched him as he parented Parker. He is an excellent father." Brennan smiled as she set her mug down. "Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules for parenting. No matter what you learn from this situation with Joy, it may not apply to Seeley or Max. You just have to figure it out as you go along." She rose from her chair and picked up the old photo album from its spot on the counter. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to go talk to my grandchild."

Christine grimaced slightly as she finished her tea. "Good luck with that...I can't get more than two words out of her…"

"Well, sometimes grandmothers have a knack that parents may not have. We'll see…"

Oooooooooo

Tapping softly at the door, Brennan peeked into the room. "Hello...may I come in?"

"I guess." Joy lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Did Mom send you up here to scold me about school?"

"No, I came of my own accord." She sat down in a small chair by the bedroom's window. "I want you to tell me about the graphic novel you're writing."

"Really?", Joy said in surprise as she sat up to stare at her grandmother. "You don't strike me as the graphic novel type, Grammy."

Brennan shrugged as she grinned at the girl. "I enjoy many different genres of literature."

"I'm not sure comic books actually qualify as literature…", Joy giggled. "They're mostly just for fun…"

"Nonsense. I'm sure you're aware of the impact comic book characters have had on American culture. For example, take Superman…or any of the other characters invented by Stan Lee..."

Not wanting to listen to a lengthy lecture on cultural anthropology at that exact moment, the preteen coughed softly as she walked over to her desk and accessed her tablet. "Do you want to read what I've written for our newest book?"

"Of course!" Walking over to the desk, Brennan stood next to the girl's chair. "What is the main character's name?"

"Halia. She's a law enforcement officer from the planet Xeron in the Andromeda Galaxy, and she's come to Earth to seek Randon, an escaped criminal who's a shapeshifter. Earth is a great place for him to hide because of our varied flora and fauna...he can blend in easily and hide almost anywhere. While she's looking for Randon, she meets a cute FBI agent named Cade, and they begin working together…"

"The plot for your story sounds quite involved...very impressive." Brennan grimaced slightly as she read what her granddaughter had written. "However, I must say...your punctuation and spelling could use some work…"

"What? Oh, that...well, I'm just trying to tell a story right now…" Turning to face her grandmother, Joy was surprised to see her grandmother's slight scowl. "What's wrong?"

"If you want a publisher to take you seriously, Joy, you must present your story at its very best from the beginning. An editor might still have suggestions, but they are more likely to be interested in your story if it has fewer flaws. If they have to spend a lot of time figuring out what you mean, they'll probably reject your manuscript, no matter how good your content is." She pointed to the screen. "I'm assuming your heroine must be subject to Earth's laws of physics instead of those of her home planet. You'll want to explain how she has to adapt her powers to Earth. As I'm sure you know, things you've learned in Science can apply to your story as well."

"I guess I never thought about that, Grammy. Halia would have to adapt...and that would be interesting, wouldn't it? Trying to explain that...in fact, that gives me an idea for a new installment…about how Halia learns to live on Earth..."

"Good...I'm glad I could help." Turning toward the window, Brennan picked up the old photo album. Turning to a page in the book, Brennan pointed out a picture. "Look...here's a picture of me with my first best seller. Maybe you'll have pictures of yourself with your books someday...if they make an actual printed copy of them, that is."

"I'd like that a lot." Joy leafed through the album, studying her grandmother's publicity portraits intently. "How many books have you written, Grammy?"

"Twenty novels about Kathy Reichs, and several anthropology textbooks." She pointed to a picture that had been taken in her old office at the Jeffersonian. "This is one of my favorite pictures. Do you see that small object there on my desk?"

"You mean that little blue thing? What is that?" Joy's nose was scrunched up as she squinted at the picture. "It's not very pretty…in fact, it's kind of ugly..."

"On the contrary...it's quite beautiful." She smiled gently as she pulled Joy close. "Your Pops gave that to me at dinner one evening, many years ago. I'd told him a silly story about a boy I'd had a crush on in high school. I'd wanted this boy to like me back, but he'd made fun of me. Instead of giving me the little cartoon figurine I'd wanted...the cute girly Smurf...he'd gotten me a different one to tease me about how smart I was."

"That was mean! Why do kids have to pick on smart people? That's just rude…" Joy wiped away a tear. "Cade teases me about being smart a lot…"

"You're right...it is mean. Anyway, I'd told Pops that the boy had hurt my feelings when I was in high school, and it upset him a little bit, I think, so he brought me that figurine...Brainy Smurf...because he said I was pretty _and_ smart. Basically, he was saying I shouldn't worry about what anyone else thinks of me, because he liked me just as I was. Pops has always been impressed with how smart I am...he says he loves that about me."

"Did Pops ever tease you about being so smart?", Joy asked quietly as she nestled against her grandmother.

"He did at first...just a little...but he soon grew to appreciate how smart I am when he realized how much it helped us to do our work for the FBI." Brennan closed the album and gave her granddaughter a hug. "I know it's not easy being as smart as you are, Joy. Unfortunately, I think our society sometimes puts more value on things that are considered 'normal', and being a genius makes you 'abnormal' in some respects, so naturally you stand out in the crowd. Some people may even be afraid of how smart you are. However, you can't really change that about yourself, no matter how hard you to try to hide it. You need to embrace it, instead, and be proud of your intellect. You shouldn't have to change to get people to love you. You need to find people who appreciate you for your intelligence...people who don't want you to change, because they love you just the way you are. That's what I did...and that's why I married Pops."

Joy was silent for a few minutes, pondering what her grandmother had said. "I guess lately I've been pretty awful to Mom and Daddy, haven't I? It's not really their fault that kids at school tease me..."

"Perhaps, but you're an intelligent young woman. I'm sure you'll figure out how to make amends." Brennan gave Joy a knowing look. "I'd suggest starting with an apology and a concerted effort to improve your grades. And if the kids at school still bother you, you should tell your parents or your counselor. They can't help you fix a problem if they don't know the problem exists."

"Good idea." Joy gazed into her grandmother's clear blue eyes with curiosity. "Do you really like my stories?"

"They show great promise." Brennan rose from the chair. "I expect you to become famous...but I think perhaps you should work on them only after you've finished your homework."

"Okay. Thanks, Grammy…" Joy gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"You're welcome, Joy."

Brennan closed the door behind her, smiling as she carried the album downstairs. When she got back to her apartment, she was going to dig out her Brainy Smurf figurine. Perhaps it was time to give him a new home.

* * *

 _ **Thanks for reading. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it.**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Thanks for all the kind reviews. I'm glad you are enjoying this set of vignettes.**_

 _ **Written as a companion piece for yesterday's chapter. Sometimes a guy needs his grandfather to give him advice...**_

* * *

"Hi, Seeley." Michael-Vincent smiled as his son came in the front door. "How was your day?"

"I don't want to talk about it, okay, Dad? Just leave me alone." A sullen Seeley strode through the family room, raced up the stairs, and slammed his bedroom door.

Looking at his father in law with surprise as his son brushed past them, Michael-Vincent shook his head. "I wonder what that's all about. He's usually such a happy kid…"

"What is he...17 now?" Booth chuckled as he sipped his coffee. "I can tell you this much...one way or another, it's about a girl...especially since it's so close to Valentine's Day." Setting his mug down, the elderly man slowly rose from his chair. "I'll just go up and have a chat with him…no offense, okay, but he'll probably be more willing to talk to his old Pops instead of his dad right now. That's just the way kids are, you know?"

"Pops...you know you shouldn't be going up the stairs, right? Christine would kill me if she found out I let you do that. You might fall..." Michael-Vincent gave Booth an imploring look. "Please? Let me call Seeley down here to talk to you…"

"In the first place, it's not like you get to 'let' me do anything around here, alright? I can make it up those damn stairs if I want. I ain't a cripple, alright? It takes me a bit of time to go anywhere, that's all, and I ain't afraid of your wife, either. And secondly, if you make that kid come downstairs to talk to me in front of his old man, he won't say a damn word, you know? He'll pretend he can't hear a word I say, and we'll all end up angry. No, it'll mean more if I go up and talk to him. You just keep the younger ones out of the way, okay?"

Grabbing his cane, Booth made his way to the staircase before turning to his son in law. "Look, I know you're worried about me falling because I'm a little unsteady on my feet, and my knees ain't as good as they used to be. I get that. Why don't you follow me up quietly, okay? When we get to the top of the stairs, you can come back down…"

Relieved by the suggestion, Michael-Vincent quickly nodded in agreement. "Thanks, Pops. I appreciate it…"

"Yeah, no problem." He wore an ornery grin as he winked at the younger man. "I still ain't afraid of your wife, but I guess I should be more considerate of you, since you've got to live with her…and she's got her mother's temper..."

"Yeah, she does..." Grimacing as he looked up the stairwell, Michael-Vincent shrugged. "Whenever you're ready…"

Booth grabbed the railing and took a tentative first step. Satisfied that he could make it up the stairs, he nodded at his son in law. "Let's go."

The men made slow progress, but finally they were at the top of the staircase. "Okay, buddy.", Booth said. "I can take it from here. I'll tell Seeley he has to bring me back down…"

"I hope that works.", Michael-Vincent muttered to himself, knowing how stubborn his son could be. Seeing his father in law's impatience, he smiled slightly. "Whatever you say, Pops…"

Slowly making his way down the hall, Booth finally stood in front of his grandson's bedroom. Rapping on the door with his cane, he pushed it slightly ajar. "Mind if I come in?"

 _Really? Jesus...That's all I need right now...nosy family members._ Sprawled out on the bed and staring at the ceiling, Seeley was tempted to tell his visitor to go away, but he adored his grandfather. _I can't believe Pops came upstairs just to talk to me._ _I must be in deep shit..._ "I guess not."

"Good." Booth entered the room and sat down at the desk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Rough day?"

Sighing softly, the young man shrugged as he turned to the elderly man. "Yeah, you could say that." He sat up and ran his hand over his face. "Why are girls so hard to deal with, Pops?"

 _I knew it! Some little girl has broken his heart!_ "I dunno, son. I guess girls say the same thing about us guys, right? They think we're hard to deal with, too." Seeing a tentative smile from his grandson, Booth continued. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I don't know." Pausing for a few seconds, Seeley nodded slowly. "Maybe you can give me some advice. It looks like I've really, really fuc…I mean, I've really screwed things up bad." Seeley blushed a bit as he saw his grandfather's knowing smile. "So...you remember Beth?"

"You mean that cute little girlfriend of yours? Of course I remember her…"

"Well, she's not my girlfriend anymore…"

"Dammit...I'm sorry, son. Did she dump you?" Booth gave his grandson a sympathetic grin. "Oh well...there's plenty of fish in the sea…it'll take a while to get over her, but..."

"Um...actually...I broke up with her." Seeley rested his chin in his hands as he watched his grandfather's reaction. "I'd met this new girl at school...Jade...she's really pretty...and...um...I wanted to ask her out...but I was going with Beth...so I broke up with Beth. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I thought Beth was okay with it, too...she said we could still be friends...and she wants me to be happy...and I thought that was what I wanted, being with Jade...that it would make me happy..."

"I see." Booth bit his lip to keep from scolding his namesake. _At least he isn't two timing Beth…_ "Is that it? You broke up with Beth and started dating a new girl?"

"No...not really." Seeley groaned as he lay back down on the bed. "So Jade and I went out a few times...and then I decided that I didn't like her after all. She's...not very smart...not like Beth is, anyway...and all she wants to do is drink beer and smoke weed. I can't do that kind of stuff, Pops...not with playing sports and all. I'd lose my chance at a scholarship if I got caught…and Mom and Dad would kill me..." Rolling onto his side, he continued. "So I broke up with Jade and decided to try to get Beth back…"

Booth sighed as he fidgeted with his cane. "But Beth has another fella now, doesn't she?"

"No...at least, I don't think so. I thought maybe Cody Billings had asked her out a couple of times, according to what my friend Eddie said, but I guess Beth turned him down. He's always had a thing for her...but I don't think she likes him that much. Anyway, it doesn't matter if she has a new guy or not, because she won't even talk to me now...she won't let me apologize...she won't respond to any of my messages…she's ignoring me." Seeley wiped away a tear as he continued in a choked whisper. "I went by the library today...the one where she works...hoping to talk to her, you know? To clear the air? But instead, she yelled at me in front of everybody. She said I should just leave her alone...that things are too weird between us now, and she doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore. What am I gonna do, Pops? I made a huge mistake breaking up with Beth..."

"Yeah, sounds like it.", Booth grunted. "You're right. You really screwed things up royally...you hurt her bad, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did...and now I'm paying for it. I mean, when she said she didn't want to have anything more to do with me, it was like getting kicked in the balls, you know? It hurt so damn bad…" Seeley swallowed hard to keep from sobbing. "I know there are other girls around school who'd be willing to go out with me if I needed a date, Pops, but I want Beth…"

Pursing his lips slightly as he thought over his grandson's problem, Booth glanced over at the boy. "I tell you what...I want you to go downstairs and get that old photo album your mom found and bring it up here, okay? Make it snappy…"

Somewhat confused, Seeley was downstairs and back in less than a minute, handing the large book to his grandfather. "Here…"

"Okay, pull up that chair and come sit next to me. I'm gonna tell you a story, but I need some visual aids." Booth opened the book to a page and pointed. "See this guy? This was my friend, Sweets. Your Grammy and I had gone to see him one day about a book he was writing about our partnership, and he kind of dared me to tell Grammy how I felt about her. See, we were supposedly just friends, me and her...but I wanted more, so I spilled my guts about it that night. I surprised the hell out of her...and it didn't go well at all. She thought I was forcing her to make a decision...it was like I backed her into a corner, and she panicked..."

"Um...well…that's too bad, Pops…but…", Seeley said, sighing impatiently. "...what's that got to do…with me?"

"Just hold on a second, okay?" Turning to another page, he pointed at another picture. "See this? This is your Grammy and me at an FBI function. Notice anything strange?"

"Hmmm…" Looking at his grandfather in surprise, the boy responded quickly. "You both have dates...that aren't each other."

"That's right. I hate that picture, but Grammy likes it for some reason...something about me in a tuxedo. Okay...look at these…" He turned to another page, showing Seeley a picture of his grandmother at the airport and of himself in his old Army uniform. "Grammy was getting ready to go to Mahulu, wherever the hell that is, on a dig, and I was going to Afghanistan to train soldiers. Things were too weird between us, and Grammy wanted to get away from me…so we tried to get as far apart from each other as possible."

"Oh." Nodding, Seeley thought he knew where the story was heading. "So did you get together when you got back from your trips? Did you realize you were meant to be together?"

Booth sighed softly. "Nope...not exactly." He wore a sad expression as he looked up from the album. "I'd met someone while I was overseas...a reporter, and I fell in love with her." Sniffling sadly, he shrugged. "Or at least I thought I loved her. She was really pretty...smart...bubbly...and I thought I was happy with her, but the truth was that I loved Grammy more. I was just too stupid to realize that, and I ended up hurting Grammy real bad…"

Completely caught off guard, his grandson stared at the elderly man in surprise. "But...I don't get it. If you hurt Grammy...how did you two end up getting married?"

"Well, remember what I said about me being stupid?" Seeing his grandson nod, Booth continued. "See, I asked the reporter...her name was Hannah...I asked her to marry me, and she turned me down cold. She said she wasn't the marrying kind, and that I should've known that. Well, as you can imagine...it was like…"

"A kick in the balls." Seeley smiled sadly. "And you were left without either one of them…"

"That's what I thought, but I was wrong. Me and your Grammy were still working together, okay? I mean, we'd always been friends, and we'd just hit a giant bump in the road, but she was still concerned about me, and she hung around until I could get over Hannah giving me the old heave-ho. She even got me a gift for Valentine's Day that year. Look…" Booth pointed to a small, grainy photograph. "That's us at the FBI's shooting range. I pulled this photo off the surveillance tape because I didn't ever want to forget what she'd done for me…"

Grimacing slightly, his grandson studied the picture. "What are those things?"

Booth laughed out loud. "Thompson machine guns. Your Grammy had 'borrowed' them from the Jeffersonian's Roaring Twenties exhibit and brought them to the range because she remembered that I'd always wanted to shoot a tommy gun. We had our own version of the St. Valentine's Day massacre right there at the range, and it was then that I knew we were gonna be alright between us."

Seeing his grandson's confusion, Booth patted his knee. "Here's the thing, son. I don't know if you and Beth are gonna get back together, okay? All I know is that the important thing is to take it slow, and let her know that you're willing to be her friend on her terms, okay? And if she decides she isn't interested, well...that's just the way it goes, and you'll have learned something about dealing with girls." Seeing Seeley's crestfallen face, Booth winked at him. "But you know what? If Beth is as smart as you say she is, I bet she'll be willing to be your friend...and things will only get better from there, okay?"

"I guess so." Seeley ran his hand over his eyes. "I just want Beth to talk to me again, you know? I miss her…"

"I know." Groaning softly, Booth pushed himself out of the chair. "Okay, buddy...I need you to help me get downstairs before your mom gets home. No reason for your dad to get into trouble on our account…"

"Yeah, Mom will give him hell...I mean, heck...if she finds out he let you come upstairs."

"What is it with this whole 'let me' do stuff? Enough of that shit…" Booth grinned at Seeley's gasp. "Your mom doesn't like salty language, either, does she?"

Taking his grandfather's arm as they eased down the steps, the teenager shook his head. "Nope. I gotta watch what I say…"

"Well, that's a lesson to remember, right? Watch what you say, and maybe you can stay out of trouble."

Helping his grandfather down the first step, Seeley grinned. "You're right. Thanks, Pops. I appreciate the advice."

"Anytime, son. Now...c'mon...let's hustle. Chop chop…"

* * *

 ** _If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura._**


	10. Chapter 10

_**This chapter is completely AU in that nothing like this memory happened on the show. However, given what we know about Brennan, Hodgins, and the interns, I think it's within the realm of possibility. I hope you enjoy my flight of fancy...**_

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It was warm and sunny in Washington, DC, and Jack Hodgins had decided it was the perfect summer day to take his youngest grandson on an outing. Watching as the boy got his backpack ready to go, the old man smiled.

"Your dad's gonna drive us over to Rock Creek Park, Max, and we're gonna look for all sorts of cool stuff, okay?" Seeing the boy's happy grin, Hodgins chuckled. "I think maybe today we should focus on collecting some rocks, minerals, and fossils. Your mom says you've got enough insects for now…"

Max sighed in disappointment. "How can anybody have too many bugs, PaJack? After all, they don't take up a lot of space…"

"I know, right? But we need to listen to your mom so we don't get in trouble, otherwise she might not let us play together anymore." Hodgins glanced up at his son. "Okay, buddy...let's get this show on the road."

"Are you sure you want me to just drop you two off at the park's entrance, Dad?" Michael-Vincent's uncertain expression gave away his concern. "I can hang out at the park with you guys if you want…"

Hodgins rolled his eyes at that silly idea. "You've got too many things to do instead of following us boys around while we go exploring. We'll be fine. I'll keep my chair on the concrete path, and Max will be close by if I need something." He held up a small electronic device. "And if we need anything, I'll let you know. Now, let's get a move on. Time's a-wastin'. I'm not getting any younger, you know. Anyway, I've been to the park hundreds of times...it's a piece of cake trip..."

Grumbling under his breath, Michael-Vincent pulled the van around to the front of the house and helped his father get ready to go. "I know you're not anticipating any issues, Dad, but still…" He glanced at Max and sighed. "Christine and I trust you...we really do...but the kiddo can be a handful at times, okay? If he sees a cool butterfly or a shiny beetle, he's off like a shot…"

"So you're saying he's a chip of off his grandfather's old block." Hodgins patted his son's arm. "Relax, okay? I put up with you, and I can put up with Max…we're gonna be fine."

"But Dad...it's not quite the same, is it?" Hating to sound cruel, Michael-Vincent still needed to voice his concerns. "If he gets lost or hurt, how can you help him?"

"I'll do just fine, thank you very much. If I can call you with my little toy, I can call for help from the police or a park ranger, too. Besides, Seeley is going to meet us out there." Giving his son a steely glare, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Let's go…now. Unless you hear different from me, you can pick us up at four..."

Oooooooooo

After exploring the developed section of the park, Hodgins and Max met Seeley in a covered pavilion, and the three of them enjoyed some sandwiches and cold drinks before the next phase of their day's adventure.

"Okay, boys...you understand the plan, right?" Hodgins gave his grandsons a pointed look. "No going off script today. It's important to follow my directions exactly..."

"I think I've got it." Squinting against the bright sunshine, Seeley pointed to an area in the distance. "We're gonna go over to that place where they're adding on to the park, and scatter some of this stuff that Max found this morning…"

"It's gonna be like setting up a scavenger hunt, isn't it?" Max was practically jumping up and down in excitement. "Can we put stuff wherever we want?"

"Well, I'd prefer it to be in plain sight, but other than that...yeah, you can put it anywhere in that field. They'll be here any minute, so you two had better get going." Hodgins chuckled to himself as the boys ran off. This was going to be fun…

Oooooooooo

Fifteen minutes later, three people in Jeffersonian intern uniforms met Hodgins at the top of a hill. "Mr. Wagner...Ms. Fincher...Mr. Parks...welcome. I'm Dr. Hodgins, and I'm going to be leading your field exercise today."

The interns looked at each other in surprise before turning their attention to the elderly man in front of them. "Um…", Ms. Fincher began as she eyed his wheelchair. "...I'm not sure we're in the right place..."

"Oh, let me assure you...", Hodgins chuckled. "...you're definitely in the right place. You're going to be participating in the first section of your geology field study today." Turning slightly in his chair, he pointed toward the newly turned earth in a field about fifty yards away from their location. "My assistants have been busy getting things ready for you." He smiled and waved at his grandsons as they came trudging up to meet him. "You're going to be looking for some fossils and some mineral samples…nothing exotic, just the normal stuff we have in the area...calcite and quartz crystals...some brachiopod fossils, and, if you're lucky, some shark teeth...things that you might find at any normal crime scene. It's important that you take all of these factors in at a crime scene. You need to be prepared to recover all sorts of materials..."

"What?!" Mr. Wagner was incensed. "You mean we have to dig around in the dirt to find some stuff scattered by a couple of kids? I don't believe this...I have real work to do. I don't have time to play these silly games."

"Really?" Hodgins laughed mirthlessly at the man's outburst. "Well then, I suggest you take your concerns to Dr. Carson, since he's your graduate advisor. He's the one who asked me to set up this little lesson for you…"

"Oh…" Muttering to himself, Wagner clenched his jaw. "I see…"

"As I was saying...when you work as a forensic anthropologist in a smaller city, you may not have an expert in geology available to you, in which case you'll need to know what minerals, rocks, and fossils to look for during a body retrieval. Mineral samples and fossils found with the body or in the immediate area can give you valuable clues as to whether or not the body was moved from one location to another. Remember...never assume that a clue isn't important. Any little shred of evidence you recover can be the very thing that makes your case successful in court. Believe me, the District Attorney's office will appreciate your thoroughness." Seeing that he had the interns' attention, Hodgins gave each of them a tablet that held a list of items. "These are the samples you'll be looking for, along with a description and a photograph. Please take photographs of the objects in situ before collecting them. My assistants have placed them in plain sight, so it shouldn't be difficult…"

Mr. Parks groaned as he looked over the list. "This is impossible. I can't believe you let those kids help you…"

"Those boys are my grandsons. They are quite intelligent and I've trained them to do exactly what I've asked of them." Smirking as he turned his wheelchair away from the interns, Hodgins called out over his shoulder. "Look at it this way...if kids planted the items, it'll be easy for the adults to find them, right? You have one hour…good luck."

Oooooooooo

Sitting in the pavilion as the hour passed, Hodgins found himself becoming drowsy in the warm sunshine. He smiled to himself as he began to nod off. He'd missed being out in the field like this. Normally Dr. Edelmann would be running the geology field studies, but he'd had an emergency appendectomy, and Dr. Carson had needed a substitute in a hurry. When he'd called Hodgins for suggestions, the old man had volunteered almost immediately, much to Carson's surprise.

The geology field study had begun in earnest several years ago, having been reinstated by Dr. Wendell Bray when he had taken over the Forensics Department at the Jeffersonian after Brennan's retirement. Wendell had finally retired as well, leaving the department in the competent hands of Dr. Carson. Hodgins chuckled softly. Dan Carson was an interesting combination of his predecessors: he could be stern and imperious or an excitable small child, depending on the circumstances...

Having dozed off, Hodgins was suddenly jolted awake as the sweaty interns approached the pavilion with the samples they'd found. Mr. Parks mopped his brow with his handkerchief as he sat down on a bench. "Man...that was hot, miserable work."

"Exactly. The moral of the story is...don't take your techs for granted. They do a lot of hard work to make you look good, okay? Now...let's see what you found. Max? How did they do?"

Wearing a serious expression, the nine year old nodded as he looked at the samples that had been collected. "Not too bad, I guess…" He pointed at a white object in Ms. Fincher's hand. "...except that's a piece of plastic…"

"Very well. Good job. Let me take your pictures to record your attendance…" Hodgins snapped a picture with an old fashioned camera. "Dr. Carson will inform you of the date for your next field study. Thank you...after you turn your samples over to my assistants, you may go."

The interns grumbled and fumed as they slowly walked away, much to Hodgins' displeasure. "I think those three will be in for a shock when they have to do their first real body recovery in a muddy field. There's a lot more to forensic anthropology than staying in a lab." He grinned as he turned to his grandsons. "Remember these words of wisdom, boys: never trust anyone who doesn't like rocks." Checking the time, he pointed across the park. "Come on. Your dad will be here soon, and I don't want him to worry because we're late."

Oooooooooo

Back at Michael-Vincent's house, Hodgins relaxed and cooled down in the air conditioning as he waited for his wife to come pick him up. Taking a sip of his water, he spied the old photo album sitting on the counter. "I wonder if Brennan kept that picture.", he said to himself. "Let's have a look…"

He pulled the heavy book onto his lap and leafed through the pages. There didn't seem to be any sort of chronological order to the pages, which surprised him, but he had time to look for the picture he wanted. Finally he found his prize. "Here we are!", he chortled as his son entered the room. "Hey, buddy...look at this."

Taking the picture in his hand, Michael-Vincent laughed out loud. "What happened to you? You all look like refugees from a mud wrestling tournament!"

"That was our very first geology field day, several years ago." Hodgins chuckled as he remembered the event. "It was my idea...you know, to help the interns get a feel for how to collect particulate mineral evidence and stuff like that. I'd arranged to take all of them: Arastoo, Wendell, Fisher, Finn...even Clark and Daisy were going to go. Well, of course, Dr. B decided she had to go, too, so she could 'supervise', and somehow she talked your mom into coming along…"

"But Mom hates that kind of stuff…" Michael-Vincent was shocked. "She actually wanted to go?"

"Yeah, I know...it was a surprise to me, too, but Brennan had verbally twisted her arm, I guess. Anyway, I'd found a great place for our expedition...Petersburg National Battlefield in Virginia. There's all sorts of stuff to find out there...both natural materials and manmade items from the Civil War. So that was the deal...we'd all go and spend the day looking for rocks, minerals, and fossils…and whatever else we could find..."

Michael-Vincent shrugged as he refilled his father's water glass. "That sounds simple enough…"

"Yeah, but I hadn't taken the weather into account. It had rained for a couple of days before our trip, and by the time we got out there the ground was pretty soggy, so we were at least ankle deep in muck. We were making it around the battlefield okay until Arastoo slid down a steep hill and landed face first in a big muddy puddle. The slope was too slippery for him to climb back up, so we all slid down after him to help him out...and then we started laughing at how silly his predicament was, and we all started throwing mud at each other…pretty soon we were all covered with mud from head to toe. It was a lot of fun, you know? And then your mom had us all line up and she took our picture to commemorate our trip. That's what this picture is..."

"Wow...you guys got that filthy in a small mud puddle?"

"Well, it was more like a huge animal wallow...several feet wide, and surprisingly deep. Once we got Arastoo situated, Wendell got stuck in it when his boots sank deep into the mud, and we had to struggle to pull him out. It was like pulling him out of wet cement, you know? It took us several minutes, and he was flailing around like crazy the whole time, yelling about his boots being ruined. Finn thought it was hilarious and gave Wendell a really hard time about being a city kid who'd never seen mud, and Wendell retaliated by chucking a fistful of mud at Finn, which hit him right between the eyes. Pretty soon, it was a 'no holds barred' mud fight between all of us. It was like watching a pie throwing fight in an old movie." Hodgins guffawed as he pointed at the picture. "Brennan tried to get us under control, but she ended up falling on her ass in the mud, too! I thought she'd be pissed, and the rest of us were trying so hard not to laugh at her...but she was giggling so hard she couldn't stand up, and when we tried to help her, she ended up pulling us down on top of her into the mud, and we sat there for a few minutes, just laughing about how ridiculous the whole thing was. We all ended up with mud in our undershorts...in our mouths...and everywhere else you can imagine. It was great...we had a lot of fun, and it turned out to be a great team building activity."

"Yeah...sounds like it." Michael-Vincent nodded as he looked again at the picture. There was his father and his future mother in law, their hair, skin, and clothes caked with mud, surrounded by a group of very dirty interns, all of whom were grinning from ear to ear through the grime on their faces. "I'll say this...Dr. B wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, was she?"

"That's the truth, and that's why her interns have always respected her so much. She isn't afraid of hard, nasty work." Closing the album, Hodgins sighed. "Thanks for letting me take the boys with me today, son. I know it's kind of nerve wracking to send them out with your crotchety old man, but I needed their help today."

"Dad…" Michael-Vincent patted his father's arm. "I never want you to feel like you can't spend time with the kids, okay? It's just...I was worried about you, being out there at the park by yourself…"

"I've been in much worse places by myself." Handing his son the album, he took a sip of his water. "Anyway, it was worth it to be able to hang out with the boys. It keeps me young, okay?"

"Yeah...okay." Patting his father on his shoulder, Michael-Vincent placed the album on the counter. He was willing to do whatever it took to keep his father as young as possible, even if it meant he'd have to worry about him from time to time. "Maybe next time, I can go with you. I want to feel young, too, okay?"

"Maybe...if Max doesn't mind." Hodgins grinned at his son. "I'll look forward to us spending the day together. Who knows? Maybe we can have a mud fight, too."

Michael-Vincent narrowed his eyes at his father. "You're on, Dad...and I'm gonna win."

Hodgins let out a belly laugh. "No way, kid...no way."

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 _ **Thanks for reading. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A look back at another favorite episode...**_

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Angela hummed along with the Christmas songs playing on the satellite radio as her driver took her across town to her son's house early one morning. She'd looked forward to this Saturday for weeks. She and and her granddaughter Joy were going to spend the day together, just the two of them. It was a grandmother's dream come true.

She watched the wintry landscape go by, trying to brush aside the tinge of sadness that often colored the recollections of her childhood holidays. She had almost no memories of her mother, relying instead on what she had learned from others who had known the woman. Debbie Montenegro, a talented back up singer who had performed with several popular bands, had been killed in a car accident when Angela was just a toddler. For whatever reason, Debbie had ended contact with her parents a few years before she'd died, so her daughter had been left in the care of her closest and dearest friend, Billy Gibbons.

Being several years older than Debbie, and still reeling from a bitter divorce, Billy had taken a paternal interest in the young singer, who'd become pregnant as the result of a one night stand a few weeks before she'd joined his band. He'd watched over Debbie with a fatherly love, even to the point of being with her at the hospital the night her little girl was born. In return for his affection, Debbie had let him name her baby, probably never dreaming that he'd come with something as bizarre as Pookie Noodlin.

 _But a deal is a deal, right?_ Smiling fondly as she thought of the only father she'd ever known, Angela wound a strand of silvery hair around her finger. Billy had done the best he could by his adopted daughter, sending her to stay with his sister for a few years since he usually spent most of his time on the road moving from one gig to another. Aunt Betty's little white house in Austin was always full of laughter and friends...until she succumbed to a particularly vicious form of breast cancer.

His sister's death had left Billy in a quandary, with a six year old daughter to care for on his own as he toured with his musical group. His own parents had died several years earlier, and he had no one else to look after his little Pookie. Finally, he'd made a difficult decision. Pookie would receive her education at the finest girls' boarding school in Texas, and then she would travel with her daddy on the road to his various gigs for her summer vacation and other breaks from school.

So Pookie, or Angela, as she was now known, had grown up without any grandparents in her life at all. It had been difficult for her, listening to all her school friends talk about how much fun they'd had visiting their grandmas and grandpas, without having anything to add to the conversation. Of course, it was no one's fault...as her daddy had always said, 'you just have to play the hand you're dealt'.

However, the 'hand' she'd been dealt had made Angela very determined to be the best grandmother she possibly could be for her own grandchildren. She would make sure they had many fond memories of their Grandma A, no matter how much time or energy it took on her part.

Now retired, she had all the time in the world to enjoy her grandchildren. Jeffrey and his wife had two boys, and Angela and Hodgins flew to Denver every chance they had to spend time with them. They got to see Michael-Vincent's three children at least every other week, and sometimes more often than that.

In typical Angela style, she had thrown herself wholeheartedly into being a grandmother, and today would be no exception. She and Joy were going to have so much fun, and Grandma A could hardly wait for their visit to begin. They were going to make some gifts today so that Joy could surprise her family on Christmas morning.

When they arrived, her driver had pulled several shopping bags and boxes of craft supplies out of the car, offering to help Angela up the front walk, but she shooed the woman away. "I can get it…" She shouldered the bags of paints and other supplies before picking up some blank canvases and an easel. Pointing to a stack of boxes, she smiled. "Just leave those...we'll be back out to get them in a minute. You can pick me up at five…"

Practically bouncing up the sidewalk, Angela quickly rang the doorbell, listening to the sound of racing feet on the other side. "Grandma!", Joy laughed as she opened the door. "Did you bring the whole craft section of Priceco with you?"

"Don't be silly!" Angela winked at her granddaughter as Christine joined them. "I only brought half of it...I didn't want to be greedy." She smiled as she embraced her daughter in law. "How are you?"

"Fine." She gave Angela a hug as she ushered her into the house. "Hey, thanks for coming to spend the day with Joy." Christine studiously avoided using the term 'babysit', realizing that Joy would be irate at the idea that she wasn't old enough to take care of herself. "It almost never happens that the boys need us to be in two different places at the same time, but that's the way it is today...and this close to Christmas, too...so it's kind of a mess. Max has an all district chess tournament in Bethesda and Seeley has been invited to a weekend hockey camp sponsored by Villanova University. He and Michael-Vincent took the train up to Philadelphia last night…"

"It's no problem. We're going to have a great time, aren't we, Joy?" Smiling at her granddaughter, Angela pointed outside. "You'd better go get the rest of our supplies, Missy…" The women both laughed as they watched Joy race over to the boxes.

"I wish she'd be that quick about doing her homework!", Christine remarked as Joy carried the supplies inside. "Okay, Sweetheart...you and Grandma A have fun. If you need me…" She helped Max with his coat before turning to her mother in law. "...just call. I can be home in thirty minutes…"

"We'll be fine.", Angela interrupted. "See you this evening." Both grandmother and granddaughter stood side by side as they waved goodbye, watching as Christine pulled away from the house. "Okay, Sweetie...what do you want to do first? I have all sorts of felt and glitter to make Christmas ornaments with...or we can paint some pictures...or we can do some origami…"

"Hmmm…" Joy looked over the pile of crafting supplies as she thought about her Christmas list. "Well, I'd like to paint some pictures for Mom's office at the clinic and Daddy's office at his school...and I'd like to make some sort of bug cage for Max and a case for some of Seeley's collectible hockey pucks…and I want to make some Christmas ornaments for my teachers…except for Mr. Green, because he's Jewish...maybe I can make him a pencil cup or something like that…"

"Okay! Well...I guess we'd better start with painting the pictures first, since they'll need to be completely dry before you can wrap them." Angela set up the easel and put a small canvas on it. "Do you have any idea about what the subject of your paintings should be?"

"Not really…" Joy wrinkled her nose as she stared at the blank canvas. "I can't really draw very well, Grandma. It's frustrating, because I know what I want my pictures to look like, but they never turn out that way." She gave Angela a sidelong glance. "Maybe you could draw something and I could just fill in the colors…"

"Nope! If we did that, it wouldn't be _your_ work, would it?" Seeing Joy slowly shake her head, Angela grinned slyly. "But here's an idea...why don't we make the paintings abstract? You can pick your mom's favorite colors and then make geometric designs, or swirls, or any combination of things. You know, there aren't really any rules for art...that's why I enjoy it so much."

"That's a great idea!" Pleased with her grandmother's suggestion, Joy painted with gusto before standing back to check out her work.

"That looks so cool, Grandma! I like both of them a lot!"

"They're beautiful, Honey." After carefully putting the canvases away, Angela noticed the time. "We'd better have some lunch before we start on the projects for your teachers…"

"Okay. Mom said there was some tomato soup in the fridge we could have." Joy opened the refrigerator and peered inside. "But I'm pretty hungry, and soup may not fill me up."

Pulling some bowls from the pantry, Angela smiled. "You know what? Your Pops taught me how to make his special grilled cheese sandwiches. Would you like to have one to go with your soup?"

"Yes! Can you show me how to make them, too?"

"Okay, but remember...you need to make sure it's okay with your mom before you make a mess in her kitchen…" Buttering some bread, Angela explained the process until she realized that Joy had been eating the cheese slices she'd laid out for the meal. "First we toast the bread like this…hey, I need that cheese for the sandwiches, Missy…"

Joy rolled her eyes at her grandmother. "We have lots! Here's some more...and Mom said we could have some carrots, and some chocolate chip cookies, too...as many cookies as we wanted…"

"She did, huh?" Angela smirked as she set a grilled cheese sandwich in front of Joy. "We'll have to see about that…"

The two artists enjoyed their lunch tremendously, laughing and talking as they made plans for the homemade gifts. It was decided that Mr. Green would get a hand painted picture frame and the rest of Joy's teachers would get felt Christmas ornaments in various designs. "With lots of glitter!", Joy insisted. "You know what they say...the more glitter, the better…"

"Maybe." Angela wasn't sure that Christine would appreciate having that much glitter all over her kitchen table and the surrounding floor, but creativity often involved making a mess. "Let's pick up our dishes, and we can each have a couple of cookies before we get back to work…"

"Hey, Grandma…" Joy paused as she pointed at the old photo album. "Did you know that there's a special picture of you in this book?"

"Well, I imagine there are a lot of pictures of me in there. I've been friends with your Grammy for a long time, and we had lots of pictures taken together."

"I'm talking about a Christmas picture." Flipping through the pages, Joy finally found the photo she was looking for. "See? You're standing next to Grammy and you're dressed like an elf!"

"Oh! I remember when this was taken!" Angela laughed as she looked at the picture. "This was my first Christmas at the Jeffersonian! Wow...look at how young I was...and how short that tunic was! At least I had good legs..."

"That was a long time ago, wasn't it?", Joy asked. "Back before you married PaJack?"

Oh, yes...way before I married PaJack. I really didn't even know much about him at the time. We were all sort of new to the place...none of us knew each other very well, except for me and your Grammy, and there were still a lot of things I didn't know about her, either."

"But why are you dressed in a costume, Grandma? Grammy isn't wearing one…"

"The Jeffersonian was having a Christmas party that day, and there was a prize for the person who showed the most Christmas spirit, so I dressed up like an elf, but I didn't win…"

"Really? Why not?" Joy was surprised as she looked over the picture. "It's a cute costume, and it looks good on you. I like your elf shoes and your hat..."

"Thanks, Sweetie. Let's start making the ornaments, and I'll tell you all about it, okay?"

After tracing out several stars on some felt squares, Angela continued her story. "Here's what happened, okay? I had gone to the party to check it out, but I didn't see anyone I knew, so I went to the lab to see if Grammy would come to the party with me. She was my best friend, and I was sure I could talk her into it."

As she glued some sequins on the ornaments, Joy giggled. "So then what happened? Did she go? That would be fun…"

"Your Grammy was kind of shy when she was younger, and she didn't really like parties...and definitely not Christmas parties. Anyway, she said she had work to do." Clearing her throat, Angela paused slightly, wondering how to adequately explain things to her granddaughter. _She knows what her grandparents used to do…_ "Your Pops had brought her the body of a man that had been found in a basement of an old building, so Grammy decided she needed to look it over right away. I was frustrated with her, but she wouldn't give in. No way was she going to pass up a chance to work..."

"She wanted to look at remains instead of going to a party?" Joy shook her head in disgust as she sprinkled some glitter on the felt stars. "That's just weird…"

"Yeah, I thought so, too, but, you know...we were best friends, and I didn't want to make her feel bad about her choice. I knew she didn't really want to go with me, anyway. Your Pops and I went to the party for about thirty minutes, but we both felt bad that Grammy was left alone to work on the remains, so we came back to the lab...and then the real party started."

"What party was that?", Joy asked. "I thought you said Grammy wanted to work instead of going to a party."

"Well, PaJack made a mistake when they were examining the remains, and that exposed all of us to a lung fungus, so we had to stay in the lab over Christmas. That's why I missed the contest...we were quarantined, meaning that we had to stay so we wouldn't spread any diseases. Six of us were stuck there in the lab, without our families or our presents, so we had to make do with what we had if we wanted to have a good Christmas. I made a holographic tree, and we made handmade gifts for each other. It was kind of a weird way to celebrate the holiday, but I think it helped us become close friends."

"It sounds like fun...almost like you were camping out for Christmas.", Joy commented as she painted Mr. Green's picture frame. "And you're still friends with Grammy and Pops…"

"Yep, I am. It just goes to show...Christmas can be celebrated in lots of different ways, right? How we celebrate isn't the important thing. What's really important is sharing the holiday with people you love."

"So is that when Pops and Grammy fell in love?" Joy quirked an inquisitive eyebrow at her grandmother. "Pops says he's always loved Grammy, ever since he first met her…"

"Um...not really. I mean, he cared that she was feeling unhappy, but they weren't really romantically involved yet." Pursing her lips as she cut out some more felt shapes, Angela shrugged. "Your Grammy used to have a difficult time around the Christmas holidays." Unsure of how much Joy knew of her grandmother's youth, she decided discretion was the best course of action. "Some people become sad around Christmas because they have bad memories about something that has happened in the past...you know, like maybe losing a relative or something like that. Grammy was really sad for some reason, and she didn't want to spend a lot of time with any of us, so we left her alone and the rest of us celebrated anyway. Maybe that wasn't nice, but she didn't seem to mind too much."

"Oh." Joy's brows knit as she thought over this new bit of information. "She didn't celebrate at all? That's strange. Did you ever find out why she was sad?"

Nodding, Angela chewed her lip as she studied her granddaughter. "It turned out that she missed her parents. She hadn't seen them or her brother for a long time."

Joy paused, looking up from the felt she was cutting. "So if she didn't celebrate with you, what did she do? I think it would be sad to sit in a lab by yourself while everyone else was having fun."

"She spent her time in quarantine doing research, looking for the relatives of the man who had died, and she finally found them, so she was able to let them know what had happened to him. The woman was relieved, since they'd thought he'd left her because he didn't love her, but Grammy proved that wasn't what happened. It was sad that the man had died, but the woman was able to keep her good memories of him. Your Grammy said that was a more worthwhile way to spend Christmas, instead of celebrating with food and presents. She didn't do anything else to celebrate, although I think she saw your Pops at a restaurant later that evening, when he went to pick up Parker."

"But Grammy likes Christmas now...", Joy said, still puzzled as she glued some glittery felt stars together. "What changed her mind?"

"Well, two things happened...Grammy got to see her daddy and her brother again a few months later...and eventually Pops helped Grammy make some happier memories about Christmas. As Pops and Grammy spent more time together, Grammy got happier…"

"Because Pops loves her, right, Grandma?"

"That's right. He loves her, and she loves him."

Joy grinned slyly at her grandmother. "Do you still have that elf costume? I think you should wear it this Christmas..."

"What? No, of course not...that was a long time ago." Angela smiled to herself as she inspected their handiwork on the ornaments. _I wish I did...I bet Hodgins would still enjoy it…_

They were surprised as they heard the front door open. "Yoo hoo...hello?", Christine called from the foyer. "We're home…"

Glancing at the kitchen clock, Angela was surprised to see that it was almost five. "Well, we got a lot done, Joy, but we still have to work on your brothers' gifts…and we can't do that while Max is here..."

"I know." Disappointed, Joy's shoulders slumped a bit. "Okay…thanks for helping me with everything else, Grandma…"

"Don't worry, Sweetie. I've got an idea, okay?" Winking at her granddaughter held a finger to her lips. "Let me take care of it." Greeting Christine and Max as they entered the kitchen, Angela smiled. "How did the tournament go?"

"Max came in second. Not bad for his first tournament." Christine grinned as Max showed off his medal. Looking at the finished ornaments on the table, she nodded. "It looks like you two have had a busy day…"

"We did, and now I'm really tired. I was wondering if Joy could come home with me tonight to help me do some things around the house. I can bring her home in the early afternoon tomorrow, so she'll still have time to do her homework…"

"I'm sure that can be arranged. What do you think, Sweetheart? Do you want to go help your Grandma A?"

"Yes!" Nodding vigorously, she picked up the ornaments and put them in an empty box. "I'd love to go…"

"Okay, then...it's settled." Angela gave a sly thumbs up to her young partner in crime. "Let's get this place cleaned up. Ms. Simms will be here to pick us up shortly."

Within a few minutes the supplies were packed up and moved out to the front porch, where the artists waited for the driver's arrival.

"Thanks for everything, Grandma. You helped me make some really cool gifts today, and I had so much fun!"

"It was my pleasure, Sweetie. Hey, maybe while we're at my house tonight you can paint a picture for Grammy and Pops...maybe a smaller one for their apartment."

"That's a great idea, Grandma! Maybe they'd like a new ornament, too.", Joy bubbled. "I love making gifts for everyone…"

Listening to her granddaughter's happy chatter about the plans for the rest of the gifts she wanted to make, Angela chuckled softly. It sounded as if they wouldn't be getting much rest that evening.

She thought once again about how she'd grown up without grandparents. Things were much better in her life now, and she satisfied with knowing that she wasn't just a good grandma.

She was a _great_ grandma.

* * *

 ** _Thanks for reading. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it._**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Here's the last chapter of my little story. Thank you so much for your kind reviews. They have been appreciated as I completed this challenge.**_

 _ **I'm going to mark this story as complete, but if inspiration strikes I may add another chapter or two in the future.**_

 _ **I know the dialogue from the episode in this story is incomplete, but it's being told from Parker's point of view, and he was still young. I hope you'll forgive the inaccuracies.**_

 _ **So...without further ado...**_

* * *

It was just a few days before Christmas, and time was growing short as Christine tried to get everything done in preparation for the holiday celebration. As she checked her list again, she sighed softly. They were expecting a houseful of company, and she was looking forward to seeing everyone, but still...she was beginning to feel the stress of the juggling of all of her holiday responsibilities.

However, she knew the stress would be worth it in the long run. It had been several years since everyone had been together for Christmas, and with her parents' advanced age...well, she didn't want to think about it, but they might not have many more chances to do this sort of thing again.

She smiled to herself as she sipped her coffee. It was nice to have a little calm before the storm. She'd done some of the meal preparation beforehand...the house was clean and decorated...all of the gifts had been purchased and were wrapped. There was nothing to do now but to wait for their guests to arrive…

Suddenly her peaceful morning was interrupted by the doorbell and the sound of feet pounding down the stairs. "Uncle Parker's here! Uncle Parker's here!" Max and Joy were all smiles as they greeted their relatives. "Hi, Aunt Meredith! Did you have a good trip? Did you bring us presents?"

"Okay, okay...at ease, munchkins!" Parker grinned as he gave Joy a hug and tousled Max's hair. "Let us get in the door, okay?" Laughing as he turned to his wife, he threw up his hands in surprise. "I guess I'm almost as popular as Santa Claus…"

"Perhaps, but don't let it go to your head, Love." Smiling as Christine came into the foyer to corral her children, Meredith gave her sister in law a hug. "Happy Christmas to you!"

As she took their coats, Christine giggled. "I'm sorry you were overwhelmed by the Welcome Committee, but they're excited to see you. How about a nice cup of tea?"

"Maybe Meri wants tea, but I could use a cup of coffee, if it isn't too much bother.", Parker said as he followed his sister into the kitchen . "I may have been married to an English girl for over 30 years, but that doesn't mean I have to drink tea!"

Meredith rolled her eyes at her husband's teasing. "A cup of tea would be nice, Christine...thank you." Sitting at the kitchen table, she took off her knit hat and ran her hand through her dark hair. "Brrr! It's cold out there…"

Parker nodded in agreement. "And it's supposed to get colder. I'm glad we took the train this morning...I'd hate to be out driving in this weather."

"I hope bad weather doesn't keep your boys from making it.", Christine fretted as she put a plate of Christmas cookies on the table. "After all our planning…I'd hate to have them miss this Christmas with Pops and Grammy."

"Ian has to do hospital rounds on Christmas Eve, but he's planning to take the early train from Pittsburgh on Christmas Day, so he'll be here for dinner." Meredith glanced at Parker and shrugged slightly. "He isn't sure how long he'll get to stay, though…it depends on who's admitted over Christmas, and he's on call, in case they need more help. He may have to leave early on the day after Christmas, but at least he'll be here for part of the holiday."

Picking up a frosted sugar cookie, Parker sighed softly. "Henry's the one I'm worried about. He's supposed to take a flight out of Buffalo after the early Mass on Christmas Eve, but the weather may be iffy, with possible lake effect snow. I'm hoping they'll have a travel window open up for the flight." He smiled at Christine. "I don't know how, but it seems he convinced Father Tinker to allow him to skip Midnight Mass this year."

Meredith raised an eyebrow at her husband. "I think it had to do your dad being elderly and a lifelong Catholic...and the fact that Henry is a born con artist…"

"Just what the Church needs…", Parker said dryly. "A con artist for God…"

They all laughed at that remark. Christine smiled as she looked through the pictures of her grown nephews on Parker's phone. While Ian had always been studious and introverted, his twin brother Henry was completely the opposite...happy go lucky and as friendly as a big puppy. He'd shocked everyone with his decision to enter the priesthood, but he'd been confident in his calling, and Ian was just as confident in his choice to be a surgeon.

"Well, as long as they're here for Christmas Dinner, that's what matters. I know it's hard to make plans with their schedules, and I hope everything works out, but if it doesn't, everyone will understand." Christine rose from the table to pour herself another cup of coffee. "Hank, Carla, and Brenna Jo are flying in from Brussels later today, so they'll be here for dinner tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing them…"

"Yeah, me, too...it's been at least three years since I've seen Hank." Parker grew pensive as he spoke of his younger brother. "I mean, the job with Google is a great fit for him...but I wish he was closer to home…" He patted his wife's hand. "I guess we may need to make another trip across the pond, right, Dearest?"

Meredith smiled at her husband as she chose a cookie. "I'd like that, Love...we could go see my sister in London and then head over to Brussels. Of course, it'll be easier to make more travel plans when you finally retire…"

Parker grinned at his sister's surprised expression. "Yep...two more years and I'm out for good. I've enjoyed teaching at the Academy, but...well, let's just say that I'm getting a little bit old to keep up with all those competitive young Turks. After all, I'm 58, and I've given the Coast Guard a lot of good years. I can probably find something else to do if I get bored, although I'm sure my wife will have lots of ideas on how I should use my spare time..."

"True. Well, I'm sure Hank would be happy to have you visit, Parker.." Chuckling softly, Christine pointed to the old photo album sitting on the kitchen counter. "Hey, remember me telling you about the book we found at Mom and Dad's old house? There are several pictures of you in there…"

"Really? Let me see…" Picking up the album, Parker brought it over to the table. "I bet you'll like this, Meri...there are probably some pictures you haven't seen before…" As he opened the front cover, he glanced at Christine. "We found a lot of pictures when we cleaned out Mom's house after she passed away...but I think Dad has some different ones…" He set it on the table so Meredith could look at the book as well. "Let's see here…"

"You were such a cute little boy, Parker.", Meredith cooed. "Look at that blond hair…and those dimples..."

Slightly embarrassed, Parker pretended to ignore his wife. "I just barely remember this...this is Sid. I had to meet Dad at Wong Fu's that Christmas because the lab was under quarantine. Sid had taken me to the lab to see Dad, and then Dad picked me up later at the restaurant. I was just a little guy, but I still remember getting that robot." He turned to another page. "Ah...this is it. This is what I was looking for…" He turned the book towards Meredith. "This was the Christmas when Dad and I had two Christmas trees…"

"Two trees? But Dad's always said his apartment was tiny…" Christine glanced at the picture of her brother and shrugged. "Where would he put up two trees?"

"Well...it's kind of a long story...but I guess you want to hear it anyway, right?" Seeing his sister nod, Parker took a deep breath. "Yeah, I thought so. Well, I was about seven years old at the time. I was supposed to go skiing with Mom and Brent in Vermont, but I didn't want to go…"

Meredith regarded him with surprise. "Why not? You love to ski…"

"You have to understand, Meri...my parents both loved me, even if they didn't particularly like each other. There were often times when making the visitation arrangements was contentious. They were both very determined to get their way, but Mom had legal custody of me, and sometimes she used that little detail to thwart Dad's plans." Parker sighed sadly as he glanced at his wife. "Dad often got the short end of the stick when it came to having me stay with him over Christmas. My mom would make plans, and expect my dad to work around them, and that was what had happened this time. She and her boyfriend were going to Vermont for Christmas and taking me with them, but I wanted to see my dad before he left for Africa…"

"Africa?", Christine interrupted with a giggle. "Dad's never been to Africa that I know of…"

"I know, but remember, I was only seven, okay? When I had lunch with him right before Christmas, I asked him if he was going to be all alone on Christmas Day, and he said no...that he was hanging out with his friends. Bones shook her head and said she was going to Peru, and Dad then said he was going with her. I distinctly remember asking him why he was going to Africa. Silly, right? Especially when you remember that now I teach computer navigation at the Coast Guard Academy. Anyway, Dad just went with it, and said yeah, they were going to Africa for Christmas…"

"I guess that makes sense.", Meredith commented with a chuckle. "I can imagine that your dad wouldn't want you to worry about him."

"He was trying to keep me from being unhappy, even if it was kind of a tall tale, but that's just Dad. However, I was still upset, and my mom had made it clear that she wasn't going to change her mind about the trip to Vermont, so I cooked up a plan…"

"A plan? You were only seven…" Christine rolled her eyes at him. "Seriously?"

"Yep. Here's what happened...I was out of school for the holidays, but my mom still had to work at the law firm. She had to finish up some paperwork before our trip, so she'd left me in the care of an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Anderson, on Christmas Eve. I asked Mrs. Anderson if I could walk to the park down the street from my house, but it was really cold and she didn't want to go with me. I convinced her I could go by myself, and finally she agreed. Anyway, I walked to the bus stop instead, paid the fare with my allowance money, and caught a ride to the city. When I got off the bus, I found a beat cop at the bus terminal and said I was lost and needed to find my dad at the FBI building…"

"Oh, my God! Parker!" Christine was shocked at her brother's admission. "So many things could've gone wrong! I bet you got in a lot of trouble when your mom found out…"

Shrugging, he grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, well...Mom was irate, especially since she thought it was Dad's idea, until he convinced her otherwise." Seeing the question in his wife's expression, he nodded. "And yes, I got in a lot of trouble. I was grounded big time. My mother didn't let me go anywhere for months." Clearing his throat nervously, he ran his finger around the rim of his coffee cup. "But I thought you wanted to know about the two Christmas trees…"

"You're right, we do." Christine sipped her coffee. "So you were at the FBI…and you found Dad's office..."

"...And I asked Dad if we had a tree for Christmas, and he said we had two trees. I was as confused as you are, but we went down to the parking garage, and he had two trees tied on top of the SUV, and some ornaments and strings of lights in the backseat. I thought that was weird, so I asked him what was going on…"

Oooooooooo

 _The SUV made its way across the darkened city that evening as Booth explained his idea to Parker. "We're going to take one of those trees and make it a special gift to Dr. Bones tonight, okay? Then we'll go have some dinner and finish decorating our tree at home before we go to church."_

 _Parker turned to his father in confusion. "Why doesn't she already have a tree?"_

" _Well, she thought she was going to be out of town, but I think her plans have changed. She's going to a Christmas party for her dad instead." Deciding it was time for another 'Christmas white lie', Booth glanced at his son. "The room where they're having the party is too small for a tree, but we're gonna surprise her…"_

" _Okay." Parker pressed his nose against the car's window. "That sounds like fun…"_

" _Yeah, I think so…" Booth grimaced slightly. He hoped he was doing the right thing...he hoped that he knew Brennan well enough to know that she'd show up to have Christmas with her dad and her brother's family instead of going on a dig somewhere in Peru. He knew she really was a kind, tender hearted woman…_

 _It had started to snow as he pulled the SUV up to the gate of the prison. Booth kept the chatter going, hoping that Parker wouldn't realize where they were. Flashing his badge at the guard, he explained what he wanted to do. "I'm gonna park on the road outside the fence...down by Trailer B. We'll be back in 45 minutes or so…"_

 _The guard's confusion was obvious. "Well, I guess that's okay, Agent Booth...although I don't know why you'd want to go down there...it's really dark…"_

" _Yeah, I know...that's kind of the point." Waving as he passed through the gate, they drove through the prison grounds until they got to the right spot._

" _Okay, Buddy...here we are. Put your jacket on and come help your old man."_

 _Parker jumped out of the SUV and danced around, trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue as his father untied the tree from the luggage rack. "What are we gonna do, Daddy? Why are we putting the tree here? No one can see it, can they? Where are we gonna plug it in?"_

" _Just hold on a minute…" Booth cut the string from the tree and shook it out a bit. "Okay...let's string the lights on it...that's right. Here...let's put these decorations on it...and some tinsel...brrr, it's cold. We need to hurry…"_

 _Parker and Booth laughed as they hurriedly strung the light strands and then hung the shiny baubles on the tree's spreading branches. Rubbing his hands together, Booth made some final adjustments to the lights before starting the SUV and opening the hood. "Are you ready, Buddy?"_

 _Parker nodded, excited about their gift for his favorite scientist. "Now what? Is she gonna come out and see it?"_

" _Naw...it's too cold for that. Hang on…" Booth pulled out his phone and hit speed dial, hoping that his Bones wasn't already on a flight to Peru. He prayed as the phone rang. "...please pick up...please pick up…"_

" _Booth?", she choked out._

" _Merry Christmas! Are you okay?"_

" _Yes, of course...I've just had some of my father's Christmas cheer, that's all. Merry Christmas to you."_

" _Thanks._ _Hey, I've got something for ya…"_

" _But I don't have your gift with me...I didn't think I'd be seeing you this evening…"_

" _That's alright. We'll take care of that later. Go look out the window, okay?"_

 _Booth waited impatiently until he saw the blind being raised. Taking the plugs of the cords, he used the car's battery to supply the necessary current, and the lights on the tree flickered to life._

" _A tree!", Brennan exclaimed. "Hey, everybody...come look! We've got a tree…"_

 _A group of smiling faces appeared at the window as Brennan waved at Booth and Parker._

" _I love my gift, Booth. Merry Christmas, Booth…"_

" _Yeah, Bones...Merry Christmas to you, too…" Booth stared at the window, trying to ignore the way his heart was pounding as he saw her beautiful smile. He wanted to tell her everything he was feeling, but the words just wouldn't come out…._

 _Oooooooooo_

"We stood there for about fifteen or twenty minutes, out in the cold so they could look out the window and enjoy that tree. I remember jumping around to keep my feet warm…" Parker chuckled to himself as he sipped his coffee. "I was acting silly, I suppose, but Dad didn't seem to pay attention. He had this weird look on his face, almost like he was stunned or something, but I didn't think much of it at the time. I was more concerned about the tree. It was so pretty, and Bones was so pleased with it. Anyway, when it was time to go, we waved goodbye and shoved the tree in the back of the SUV so we could drive back to town. I was bouncing in my seat, talking away, happy that we'd taken our gift to Bones, you know? She had loved it, and I was so excited that I didn't notice that Dad was being really quiet for some reason, especially with it being Christmas Eve. We took the tree to one of those storefront missions for the homeless so they could enjoy it...I remember being so surprised when Dad gave the nuns a couple of hundred dollar bills, too, so they could give people a nice meal on Christmas Day, but he said it was no big deal...that people are supposed to do good for others at Christmas…"

"That sounds just like Dad." Christine smiled at her brother. "It sounds like you had a great time that night."

"Yeah, we did. It's one of my favorite memories of Dad." Parker sat quietly for a few seconds as he remembered that evening. "It wasn't until I was older that I realized why Dad was so distracted that night...and why he was acting the way he did...why he was so quiet and distracted..."

"I don't understand…" Christine grimaced slightly, confused at her brother's remark. "He was just happy that she was pleased with her gift, right? It's not like he was being weird about it..."

"He was happy...that's true, but there was something more to it...a lot more. I know now what he was feeling that evening." Parker reached over to clasp Meredith's hand. "I probably had the same look on my face the first time Meredith said she'd go out with me...and I'm sure Michael-Vincent looked at you the same way when he met you at the airport in California all those years ago, Sis." Realizing he wasn't making any sense, Parker cleared his throat. "Dad was already very much in love with Bones...the look on his face gave him away, although I was too young to know that. I guess he was overwhelmed with feelings that he'd tried to ignore for years, but the way she reacted to that tree...well, I think he would've done anything for her if it would make her as happy as that silly tree did. When a guy loves a woman like that, he'll do anything to make her smile...even if it means standing out in the cold for a half hour so she'll have a Christmas tree to enjoy with her family." Parker sighed softly. "He looked at her the same way on their wedding day. I was standing next to him when he first saw her coming down the aisle towards us, and he was in awe of her. It was the same thing…"

Christine brushed away a tear. "He still looks at her that way, Parker. Even after all those years together, the love still shines in his eyes when he looks at her…"

"Now I know why Parker is such a romantic, Christine. It seems he learned from the best." Meredith took her husband's hand and smiled as she raised her teacup in a toast. "To your mother and father and their amazing love story…"

"Hear, hear!", Parker said quietly, squeezing his wife's hand gently. He tried to take a sip of coffee but was interrupted by a commotion in the foyer. "Oh...someone's here. I bet it's Hank and Carla. C'mon, Meri...let's go say hello…"

Christine stayed behind the kitchen for a minute as her older brother went to greet their visitors, running her fingers once again along the album's worn cover.

So many memories had been stored in that book...memories of people that were still living and of those who'd gone on before them. Happy stories...melancholy stories...funny stories...stories about many different members of her parents' family, and about their many friends...evidence of how her parents' lives were so completely entwined together. All of those anecdotes were just small pieces of a 40 year old history...pieces that made up a large, fascinating picture of two lives well lived.

Smiling as she heard the happy chatter in the hall, she put her cup in sink and started another pot of coffee. She nodded to herself as she put more cookies on the plate and placed it on the table. Her family would be making many more memories this holiday, and perhaps they'd take a family picture that could be included in the book's tattered pages. And forty years from now, when her children looked through the album again, they'd know the story of how two people came together through love to make wonderful family.

To anyone else, the beat up old book would be nothing special, and yet, to her, it was a priceless treasure. The story of her parents' love had spanned decades, and it would be told for decades to come...all because of some dusty old album found on a forgotten closet shelf.

. _..But thy eternal summer shall not fade,_  
 _Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,_  
 _Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,_  
 _When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st._  
 _So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,_  
 _So long lives this, and this gives life to thee._

 _From Sonnet 18_

 _William Shakespeare_

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 _ **Have a safe and blessed New Year. Laura**_


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